How Important Are Roof Vents For Atlanta Roofs?

Each quote you have been given for your new Atlanta Roof includes some sort of roof vent. Are these vents really important? And what good can they do during the winter?

Roof Vents Keep Atlanta Homes Cool In The Summer

Atlanta homeowners know that summer heat in their neighborhood can be unbearable. That’s why most every home in Georgia is shielded by insulation in the attic. But if your insulated attic isn’t vented, then you are making your insulation and air conditioner work harder than they have to.

When the summer sun is beating down on your roof, the shingles heat up to temperatures well above the outside air. Asphalt shingles can reach temperatures of 125° F or more. This heat transfers from the shingles into your roof deck, turning an unvented attic into an oven that sits on top of your house.

By installing a well-designed combination of lower intake vents and upper exhaust vents throughout you roof, fresh air can circulate through your attic and heated air can effectively escape it. This will lower the loads on your insulation, air conditioner, and your power bill.

Roof Vents Keep Atlanta Homes Dry In The Winter

Although venting your attic in the summer seems to make common sense, opening it to cold air in the winter seems a little foolish at first glance.

However, the importance of keeping your attic cool in the winter has nothing to do with comfort and everything to do with removing moisture from your attic and preventing water damage to your home.

During the cold winter months, moist air can enter your attic in one of two ways. The heated living spaces of your home are one source of moisture. The heated inside air has a greater ability to hold moisture than the cooler air in your attic. As the humid, heated air rises, it finds its way into your attic and brings water vapor along with it, as no home building techniques or builder can completely block the passage of air between interior rooms and the attic.

Snow is the second potential source of moisture. As snow collects on your roof, the heat from a warm, unvented attic can cause the snow to melt. The melted snow runs down the roof slopes and can collect and re-freeze. The icicles you see along the edge of your roof may seem innocent, even beautiful, but they can be damaging.

Icicles hanging from your roof can act as ice dams. As your warm attic and roof continue to melt the snow on your roof, more water comes trickling down. However, instead of falling off the edges of your roof, the water gets blocked by the ice dams and begins to accumulate between the snow and your shingles. As this pooling water sits on your roof, it can seep under the shingles, penetrate your underlayment and get absorbed by your roof deck.

Once this happens, you have a wet roof deck that can rot. You also have moisture in your attic that can condense, spread and cause additional rotting, mold growth and other water damage.

These problems can be avoided with proper attic ventilation that allows warm, humid air to escape your attic while bringing in cool outside air. The goal is to keep the air temperature below your roof deck, or inside your attic, as close as possible to the temperature above it, or outside of your home. This prevents any rooftop snow from melting, avoids the the formation of ice dams, and removes the risk of water pooling on your roof.

In short, proper attic ventilation removes moist air from your attic and prevents ice dam formation, making it an essential tool for protecting your home from water damage during the cold winter months.

Professional Atlanta Roof Installations

Keeping your attic cool all year long should be a priority for every Atlanta homeowner. In the summer, you will enjoy lower power bills, and in the winter, you will avoid ice dams and damaging moisture in your attic.

Attic ventilation can be achieved by combining soffit vents with with ridge vents, turbine vents or powered vents. At Findlay Roofing, our professionally trained staff has the knowledge and experience to design an attic ventilation system that is properly sized and arranged for your home.

We invite you to contact us today if you have any roof vent questions, or if you would like a free on-site evaluation of your roof. Findlay Roofing is ready and eager to meet all of your Atlanta roofing needs.