Roof ventilation is a part of roof installation that ensures construction in a manner that allows for adequate air circulation after completion. Roof ventilation is vital in constructing buildings, homes and other infrastructure. In addition, having proper ventilation is crucial in preventing issues that may cause damage or degradation in your home.
What Can Damage the Roof?
Unfortunately, Australian temperatures and weather patterns are prone to extremes. For example, the country’s summer temperatures average between 20o to 35o Celsius, with humidity reaching 65%. As a result, you experience higher heat levels through the warmer months. In contrast, winter temperatures drop to between 3 and 20 degrees Celsius. Therefore, combining these two extremes leaves your roof shingles vulnerable to brittleness and mould accumulation.
In addition to the condition of your roof shingles, inadequate roof ventilation affects your home’s interiors. It can render your home uncomfortable and unwelcoming, thus making the space less hospitable.
Therefore, these and other potential damages make it crucial for you to understand how roof ventilation helps maintain your home.
- It protects your roof’s lifespan.
Poor ventilation can cause roof shingles to dry out and crack over time. In addition, if the attic space below gets too hot, it will cause significant interior and exterior roof overheating. These extreme temperatures may then dry out the underlayment, leading to shingle damage that will require costly repairs.
- It prevents mould growth and moisture damage.
Excess moisture accumulation in the attic leads to significant roof degradation and damage. In most cases, mould and moisture build-ups can cause structural issues that necessitate extensive or complete roof replacement.
- It conserves energy.
Inadequate roof ventilation leads to heat build-ups in the attic. When this occurs, it forces your air-conditioning system to work harder to keep the house cool. Consequently, you use more energy than needed- thus negatively affecting your pockets with higher energy bills and increasing your carbon footprint.
- It prevents ice dams.
Ice dams form during periods of lower outdoor temperatures. When warm air trapped in the attic rises and meets with colder air from outside, it may cause accumulated ice to melt and refreeze once it gets to cooler areas like the gutters. Therefore, the formation of ice dams is a clear indicator of poor roof ventilation. When they form, they can cause extensive water damage to the roof, making repairs necessary but expensive.
Different Types of Roof Vents
Now that you understand how vital roof ventilation is in maintaining your home, familiarising yourself with the different types of roof vents is also beneficial.
Some examples of roof vents most vendors offer for sale include:
- Soffit vents.
- Ridge vents.
- Gable intake vents.
- Turbine vents
- Cupola vents.
Of the varieties mentioned above, the turbine vent- also known as the whirlybird- is the most used. It has a very distinct appearance (it looks like a spinning dome) and is very prominent on industrial building rooftops.
On the other hand, technological advancements have made powered roof vents the more prominent option. This development means that the use of cupolas is becoming rarer and rarer. However, these powered vents need electricity to run- an extra expense that may make them less attractive to install.
But one solution will allow you to take advantage of powered vents without increasing your utility bills—solar roof ventilation systems or roof vents that rely on the sun’s energy to operate.
Using solar-powered roof vents helps reduce electricity usage by about 30%. In addition, they use smart operation where sensors monitor the temperatures inside the roof and automatically trigger ventilation to begin when they sense high temperatures. Moreover, using solar power allows you to eliminate your carbon emissions.
Roof vents are crucial to maintaining your home and living standards. They help eliminate numerous factors that cause costly roof damage and make your home’s interior less comfortable. Therefore, it is important to check that you have adequate roof ventilation as soon as possible.