Not Enough Ventilation In Attic

Insufficient ventilation can lead to moisture problems during the winter and decreased energy efficiency during the summer but too much ventilation can be just as bad if not worse.

Not enough ventilation in attic.

Thick ridges of ice on your eaves in winter are a sign of poor attic ventilation. Attic ventilation only does an ok job removing moisture. If a bath fan dumps into the attic that is very warm very moist air entering a cold space. Touch your ceiling on a warm sunny day.

Snow melts and the water refreezes on the cold eaves creating ice dams. In most cases it is rare for the air in the attic to cool down at night. Ventilation of attic spaces is required by most building codes as well as by roofing material manufacturers and the national roofing contractors association nrca. Attic ventilation works on the principle that heated air naturally rises primarily utilizing two types of vents.

But in homes that do not have proper attic insulation or ventilation heat tends to migrate. You can also contact your local municipality to check on building code in your area. If the attic ventilation system is not a balanced combination of intake vents installed in the soffit under eave or at the roof s bottom edge and exhaust vents installed at or near the roof s peak the attic ventilation system will not be efficient and effective. Hot air fills the attic and raises the temperature.

It s best to reduce how much gets there in the first place. A hot ceiling tells you that the attic is acting like a solar oven raising your cooling bills and cooking the shingles. Rafter vents should be placed in your attic ceiling in between the rafters at the point where your attic ceiling meets your attic floor. For example attic ventilation is used widely even in cold climates to evacuate the warm moist air that escapes from the living space below.

Intake vents located at the lowest part of the roof under the eaves allow cool. Just like properly sizing your furnace and air conditioning unit you want precisely the right amount of attic ventilation for your home. Most building codes require a ratio of 1 150 ventilation space to attic floor space. The most dangerous source of moisture in your attic is from the home.

If the vents aren t supplying sufficient circulation the temperature in the attic can rise to 140 degrees fahrenheit or more on sunny days and that can significantly affect the climate in your. If that air lingers it can cause condensation on the underside of the roof sheathing which can lead to wood rot and mold growth.