Does My Home Need More Attic Ventilation?

Many homeowners overlook the attic since it is tucked away, they don’t think about it. However, a large chunk of your monthly energy bill can come from your attic and your roof vents without you even knowing if your home has poor attic ventilation.

Poor attic and roof ventilation can cause damage to your roof too. For each 300 sq. feet of space in your attic, you should have a minimum of one sq. foot of ventilation, according to the Federal Housing Administration. And to avoid clumping insulation, mold and rotting wood, you need to properly ventilate your attic. Here’s how.

Monitor the Temperature
Your venting system’s circulating air is needed not just to control moisture, but it regulates temperature as well, which is especially important in the summer months. When there isn’t sufficient circulation coming from your vents, your attic’s temperature can reach to over 140 degrees Fahrenheit on summer days, which can affect your living space climate significantly.

You should keep an eye on attic temperature regularly with a thermometer in the summertime. If you notice the temperature getting hot, you will likely have to add in some power vents to improve your passive ventilation system.

Add Vented Soffits
Although there are a number of reasons why you could have blocked soffits, what happens afterward is always the same. When air isn’t entering a soffit and escaping through the vents of your roof properly and heat that begins radiating into your insulation gets trapped, it results in ice damming which can lead to water damage. To properly fix an ice damming problem, you need to change your soffits.

Install an Attic Fan
You can use attic fans to increase attic ventilation. These help to provide proper ventilation and can save you on energy costs. Good ventilation can also extend the service life of a number of important components like insulation, trusses and roof framing, electrical wiring, venting, plumbing and others that you will find in the attic space of your home. Without an attic fan, the temperatures of your attic can rise significantly. Attic fans help cool down your attic and create a steady flow of air throughout your attic space.

When you are trying to be energy efficient, proper ventilation is needed. You also need it to regulate attic space temperature and preserve the health of your roof. Following the tips above can help you with ensuring you have good attic ventilation.