Monday 11 September 2017

The Importance and Consequences of Roof Ventilation

There are so many unnoticed issues and concerns that arise on a building's attic or roof cavities with poor ventilation systems. For this reason, it is important to learn some of the requirements to eliminate mold or mildew problems caused by excess moisture and other causes that will affect the lifespan of a housetop covering.

Importance

It is important to be aware of and concerned about how heat and moisture can get trapped in attic spaces, damaging shingles as well as sub-roofing by using roof ventilation systems. For instance, a cathedral type ceiling without adequate passage in the soffit and underside sheathing will eventually encounter rot, insect damage, major condensation and even severe structural damage. For such type of ceiling design, it is important to ensure adequate air passage through the attic space. Soffit air passages that are blocked by insulation can simply be corrected by installing soffit vent baffles at the eaves between every set of rafters.
roof ventilation systems

Configuration Alternatives

For structures lacking intake or exhaust pathways, a soffit intake and a ridge line outlet should be added to provide an air passageway up to the roofs decking. Installing ventilation systems on only one part of the entire structure can create problems.

For example, installing only soffit intakes will yield limited effectiveness especially in areas with varying wind direction. In this case, it is best to install a continuous ridge air passage. Electing to have only ridged opening passageways or gable vent only passageways will not achieve the best system performance and most likely lead to increased energy bills. It is better to have continuous air flow with soffit intakes and ridge outlets.


On the other hand, a roof turbine is frequently utilized to increase air flow on difficult roofing system structures. Yet it is important to note that a good source of outdoor air should be provided in order to achieve the best air movement effects.

Consequences

By not having proper solarroof fan with proper intake and exhaust systems in the structure, the following undesirable problems could occur:
1.       Structural Damage
2.       Higher Energy Costs
3.       Moisture Damage

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