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You may not pay much attention to your attic, but it’s an important part of your home and can help provide protection – as long as it’s properly ventilated. At P.J. Fitzpatrick, we try to help homeowners understand the importance of attic ventilation and how to go about making sure they have the proper amount.
There are several reasons for attic ventilation (especially for homes in the Northeast). They include:
When your attic is properly ventilated, it can help keep the area dry during episodes of rain, snow, and sleet, when excess moisture is in the air. It can also prevent excess condensation form forming on your attic insulation. A dry attic means one that is less likely to develop mold and mildew, which can not only break down the strength of wood, but can also cause health issues.
Attics can get very hot in the summertime (sometimes up to 140 degrees in our area), and if your attic is hot, it can increase the temperature in the rest of your home. This means you’ll have to use your air conditioner even more in order to keep cool. With proper ventilation, however, your attic can stay cooler in the summer and help keep your home energy efficient. This coolness in the winter also helps to prevent the snow on your roof from melting and forming ice dams in your gutters.
There are two common types of ventilation – passive ventilation and powered ventilation.
Passive ventilation relies on the natural upward movement of warm air. By creating ventilation both at the bottom of the roof and at the top, cool air is free to move into the attic at the bottom and push the warmer air out of the top.
Like passive ventilation, powered ventilation also uses vents at both the bottom of the roof and at the top. However, the top vent uses power (instead of natural movement) to push the warmer air out of the attic.
The type of attic ventilation you need for you home depends on many factors. Give our New Jersey roofing experts a call and we’ll explain in more detail.