As a homeowner, it’s only natural to want to protect everything inside your home. One way to protect and maintain your roof’s functionality is by ensuring that it is a properly vented roof.
Adequate roof ventilation not only helps to extend your roof’s lifespan but also prevents expensive future repairs.
At Christian Brothers Roofing, we are passionate about helping homeowners maintain the health of their roofs by maintaining proper ventilation. Here’s how you can determine whether or not your roof is properly vented:
Check your utility bills.
It’s normal for your utility bills to be slightly higher in the summer and winter. However, if you notice that you’ve suddenly been paying much higher bills for no discernible reason, poor roof ventilation may be the culprit. If poorly ventilated, your roof won’t allow the house to adequately cool in summer and may allow too much warm air to escape in winter. Both scenarios place more strain on your HVAC unit, leading to higher bills.
Check for ice dams and icicles.
In winter, warm air from the living area in your home rises and finds its way to the attic. If your roof isn’t well ventilated, this air could melt the snow on your roof. The running water then refreezes as it gets to the cooler eaves, forming ice dams and icicles. This can eventually lead to more serious roofing issues.
Is there an unbalanced temperature in your home?
When walking through your home, is there a noticeable increase or decrease in temperature when going from room to room or when going upstairs? If so, it could be a sign of poor ventilation and an indication that the HVAC unit in your home is struggling to maintain a uniform temperature throughout the home.
Inspect the attic for decay or dampness.
During the winter months, inspect the attic using a flashlight. If you notice frost or dampness, it means that moisture from the warmer air in the house is collecting in your attic, condensing in the rafters, or sheathing. This can eventually lead to mold, mildew, or roof decay and you need better ventilation to prevent this.
The presence of pests and critters in the home
If you keep noticing pests and other critters in the home, you may want to have your roof vents inspected. It could be that poor ventilation has led to the damage of some parts of your home, leaving gaps where pests could make their way into your home. Alternatively, poor roof ventilation could create a warm damp environment in the attic, creating a welcoming atmosphere for these pests and critters.
If you suspect that your roof isn’t properly vented, give Christian Brothers Roofing a call. Our roofing team will come to carry out a roof inspection and assess the state of its ventilation. If need be, we’ll also inform you of any required improvements and help you to choose the best roofing ventilation system to suit your home.