It takes time to get to know your house in Tampa Bay, FL. It takes time to look through the closets and figure out the thermostat. Finally, you start to wonder about the roof. Are there many small parts or is it just one large chunk? Your roof is an integrated system. Roof ventilation is a crucial part of that system. This is how it works.
How Ventilation Works in Houses
The ridge vents run along the top of your Florida home, while the soffit vents run along the bottom (under its eaves). These open, screened areas allow air to flow into the attic. This air circulation is crucial for a healthy roof, just as a car has an intake and an exhaust.
Because it is lighter than cold air, warm air rises. The warm air in your attic rises and takes heat with it. The soffit vents let cool air in, which is similar to a car’s intake. The roof’s exhaust is the ridge vents, which act as the roof’s exhaust. As the air flows through the attic it heats up. The air circulation in your attic keeps the temperature about the same as outside air.
Heating, cooling, and humidifying the air in your living space can cost you a lot. It should be kept apart from the outdoor air to ensure comfort and good health. Attic air is outdoors air. Thanks to good attic insulation, it is separate from indoor air.
How ventilation can help your roof
Proper ventilation (continuous airflow into your attic space) will allow your roof to “breathe” normally. The sheathing can thermally expand or contract, while the wood remains dry and cools off.
Your attic can become a hotbox full of misery if it is not properly ventilated. Humidity rises and clings on to wood framing members. This can cause rot, mold, or insect damage. Temperature rises, which softens roofing materials and prevents proper thermal expansion or contraction.
Your roof will die a slow, painful death if it doesn’t have adequate attic ventilation
Preventable Demise
Poor attic ventilation can be avoided. This is the saddest thing. You can call your local roofing contractor to inspect your attic space.
To get the air moving, talk to your roofer about better ventilation.
- Remove packed insulation from the eaves
- Replacing small Ridge Vents with Larger Ones
- Adding gable vents
- Installation of powered fans
Roofers should inspect your roof for proper ventilation. Too much ventilation can make your roof sound like a loud muffler. Balanced ventilation will keep your roof in good condition. Roofers can ensure that your ventilation is balanced by using a ventilation calculation formula along with the manufacturer’s specifications. If you live in the Tampa Bay area or Sarasota, please call us at Old Time Roofing. We won’t sell you anything more than you need. We are excited to provide you with comprehensive roofing services, including roof repair and total roof replacement.
This post was written by Ted Williams! Ted is the owner of https://oldtimeroofing.net, one of the best roofing companies in Saint Petersburg, FL! Ted is a Master Elite Weather Stopper GAF Roofing Contractor, a double award winner of Best Steep-Slope Contractor from GAF and achiever of Master Elite Consumer Protection Excellence from GAF. He has been serving the Pinellas County area since 1978. Old Time Roofing has a tradition of quality workmanship, servicing residential and commercial properties.