One of the most commonly misunderstood things about the home, attic ventilation comes with its own fair share of myths. As attic ventilation experts in Minneapolis, Lewis Insulation is here to discuss these myths! If you have any questions about attic ventilation, contact us.
Attic ventilation is an important topic to understand as it’s estimated that about 90% of homes have unreasonably high levels of moisture. Proper ventilation can protect your belongings, your roof and your insulation.
1. The More Attic Ventilation, The Better
One of the myths we hear the most frequently is that more attic ventilation is always better. Unfortunately, just as is the case with air conditioning units and furnace capacities – more is not always better. While too little attic ventilation is definitely an issue, having too much may be an even bigger risk.
Roof vents create more access to the inside of your home, so having too many can increase the risk of leaks, weak spots for storm damage, or sparks entering your home and causing destruction on the inside.
This leaves the question: how much ventilation is just right? Unlock Goldilocks who needs to test out multiple options to make the right choice, your decision is simpler – just call your local professional! We are able to identify the proper amount of attic ventilation to keep everything just right.
2. Roof Vents Equals Attic Ventilation
Simply having roof vents does not mean that you have adequate attic ventilation. Depending on your home, roof and type of roof vents, your roof vents may not do much of anything for your attic ventilation. Each home and roof is unique, so the best way to ensure that you have proper attic ventilation is to hire a professional to install a ventilation system that will work for you.
3. Roof Vents Allow Warm Air to Escape During Winter
Many people fall into the belief that attic ventilation causes lower energy efficiency due to warm air rising. However, if your warm air is rising straight up to your attic and out of roof vents, you have bigger problems than attic ventilation.
Chances are, if warm air is escaping through roof vents during the winter, you have an insulation problem. Unfortunately, insulation problems can also increase moisture – meaning that attic ventilation remains a considerable concern as well.
4. Only Warmer Climates Need Roof Vents
This statement normally originates from people who assume roof vents are only to increase energy efficiency in the summer by allowing heat to escape – and while this is a benefit of good attic ventilation, there are other pieces that are better designed for energy efficiency. Shingle color, sun exposure and insulation each contribute more to energy efficiency.
However, attic ventilation is still very necessary, even in cooler climates. In fact, colder climates tend to benefit even more from proper ventilation than warmer ones. Colder climates have to worry more about condensation in the attic due to the chill outside, meaning that proper ventilation to keep moisture levels low is infinitely more important.
Now that you are armed with a better understanding of attic ventilation for your home in Minneapolis – are you ready to call an expert to make sure your ventilation is up to its job? Call Lewis Insulation today at 763-477-2612 or contact us!