Attic venting, underlayment and roof covering are the three elements of a good roofing system.
If attic air stays trapped and trapped, the other elements of your roof will begin to deteriorate immediately. Since your roofing is the most essential method of protecting your house, it is worth it to ensure that the attic beneath can correctly breathe.
#1 Don’t Let Heat and Moisture Hang Around
Moisture confined in your loft will soak the wooden structures of your roof. Moisture also tends to delaminate the engineered timber decking sheets making them lose their capacity and strength. Furthermore, dark, wet surfaces provide life for mold and mold can leave your indoor atmosphere dangerous for your health.
As loft air cools, water vapor condenses and drips from overhead onto the insulating material below it, hurting its integrity. The insulating material thus loses its capacity to protect against the flow of heat between the loft and the rooms, which means your furnace and air conditioner will work harder to control the interior temperature. The condensation can even trickle through the ceiling and then run down the walls beneath it. Excessive heat in the loft can also impact asphalt shingles up above by causing blisters.
#2 Ice Damming Can Occur
Ice damming occurs when the bottom of the roofing deck warms up enough to melt snow that then runs into the eaves where the masonry refreezes the water. The ice sheet across the eave prevents additional runoff from hitting the gutters and draining off.
Throughout multiple freeze/thaw cycles, the ice may lead to separation between the fascia and decking boards, in addition to popping up the sealing shingles and permitting water to run up under them. The water can then penetrate the loft and even the walls.
But, with a well-ventilated loft, this natural phenomenon seldom instigates a issue.
#3 Proper Ventilation Doesn’t Just Mean “To Code”
Don’t assum that the ventilation you currently have is up to par. While it may have been to code at the time, codes have changed together with the materials used in roofing solutions.
Additionally, ventilation methods vary based on the sort of covering applied to the roof. A home designed specifically for wood heaters or tile which currently sports asphalt shingles or stone-coated steel likely wants a venting evaluation.
Even though the best time to estimate and fix your attic venting comes when it is time to replace the roof, it may nevertheless be performed between re-roofs if needed.
The Author Schenectady NY Home Inspections LLC is a locally owned and family operated Home Inspection Company. Schenectady NY Home Inspections is located in Schenectady NY and has performed over 6500 Inspections Book online
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