Attic Ventilation:

Ventilation of your home’s attic is important for several reasons. There are two main purposes of attic ventilation, one is to keep the attic from getting too hot, and the other is to provide a way for moisture to escape from the house. If your house does not have enough attic ventilation, the roof covering may not last as long, the attic insulation may not be as effective, and your heating and cooling costs may go up. You may have seen instances where the attic vents have been blocked off during the winter. This is a mistake. In a properly insulated home, the temperature of the attic makes almost no difference in the temperature inside the home. Besides, blocking the vents has very little affect on the temperature in the attic. What does happen when the vents are blocked is water vapor cannot escape, the insulation becomes partially saturated and less effective, and the temperature inside the home is affected – the wrong way! The difference between the attic air temperature and outside air temperature should be less than 10°F. This will prolong the life of the shingles on your roof when compared to a hot, poorly ventilated attic. The amount of ventilation required to achieve this goal depends on the type of vents used, but is at least one square foot of ventilation opening for each 300 square feet of attic area. If the attic does not have soffit vents in the eaves, then one square foot of vent opening for each 150 square feet of attic area is needed. In simpler terms (and using very rough estimates), a 2000 square foot home needs at least three roof vents and at least six soffit vents. However, there are several types of attic vents available, including turbine vents, gable vents, ridge vents and power ventilators, in addition to the roof vents and soffit vents. Most homes in the Texas panhandle do not have this much attic ventilation. Serious moisture problems are probably avoided most of the time by the fact that we have predominantly low humidity. People typically do not frequently visit their attic, so the temperature up there may be a hidden problem. It is clearly not mandatory that poor attic ventilation be improved. It is also not an immediate or urgent concern. There is no obvious suspicion of a health or safety issue. But improving the attic ventilation can prolong the life of your roof covering, and can help your heating and air conditioning system keep your home comfortable. You should consider adding any necessary attic vents, particularly if you are considering adding or replacing your attic insulation, or if you may have a new roof installed. [ Back to General Home Information ] Schedule Your Inspection Today