Spring is on its way which means it’s time for spring cleaning and taking care of important household tasks. But is there a task you’re forgetting to include on your list? Adequate attic ventilation for your Wayzata home is essential to the reduction of heat in the home and efficiency of your cooling. Adequate attic ventilation also protects your home’s structure from the top down and increases your comfort without adding to your energy bills. It can also help prevent major problems from arising in the future, including:
- Heat infiltration to your home through the attic. Even with adequate insulation, some heat will seep into your ceilings and down into the rooms when temperatures climb. Because of this, your air conditioner will run more often in order to cool the air off, driving up energy costs.
- Mold growth which can develop in the attic when high humidity is present. Once it takes hold, it can spread throughout the rest of your home. Proper attic ventilation can help prevent this.
- Roof damage. Consistent high moisture and temperatures in the attic due to lack of ventilation can cause damage to the roof including rippling, warping and more.
The first step to combat these issues is to add attic ventilation to your to-do list this spring and contact the experts here at Lewis Insulation. Our experts can calculate how much ventilation your attic needs and how much is already there. As a general rule, you should establish a 1:300 ratio in which every 300 square feet of ceiling space calls for 1 square foot of attic ventilation. Accessory items like grates, piping and others that sit on your roof may also be an issue in calculating and setting up true ventilation.
From there, we will recommend a plan of action to install proper attic ventilation in your home. It is normal to think that adding more insulation would assist in the overall effort to prevent summer issues in attic ventilation. That is not the case, however. Vents in the roof at points where insulation is installed allows for more opportunity for moisture to get in. Some venting is absolutely necessary on the roof but you do not want to add to it by installing more insulation.
Ready to get started? For more information on attic ventilation for your Wayzata home, call us at Lewis Insulation at 763-477-2612, or you can contact us and get a Free Estimate.