It is impossible to overstate the importance of ventilation to the longevity of your roof and the energy efficiency of your house. If you want to get the most out of your roofing in Ballwin, one of the first steps is to make sure you have enough ventilation. The right quantity of airflow through your attic can accomplish numerous purposes and will have a return on investment if done correctly.
Heat will build to the top of your attic during the summer if there is no way for it to disperse. Because of the absence of ventilation, hot, wet air will ascend and collect. If the moisture cannot leave, it will accumulate and cause damage to the studs, insulation, roof decking, and anything else in the attic.
If you have shingles with burst nails, this is usually a sign of poor ventilation. Add in some strong gusts and you will be shedding shingles, or at the very least, those shingles will be damaged. A development of mold and mildew is possible if the balance between colder air moving in and warmer air flowing out is not maintained. This mold and mildew accumulation might be harmful to your health, and if allowed to get out of hand, could be costly to remove.
If you believe your HVAC system is working too hard, it might be due to the amount of heat escaping into the house from the attic. Heat rises, but it settles when it comes into contact with warmer air. It returns to your home, making your air conditioner work harder and longer, resulting in greater energy consumption.
The problem of moist air rising, as noted above, is worsened during the winter because warm moist air condenses on cold surfaces. Rotting insulation, rotting wood, and mold, and mildew are all overstated, but winter does offer its own set of challenges. Warm, wet air collects at the top of the attic due to poor ventilation. The combination of this plus the heat from the sun on the roof will melt the snow, causing it to freeze anew at the eaves.
This cycle results in ice damming. Melted water will be forced up under shingles and seep behind siding, rotting away roof decking and pouring into your home as a result of ice damming. Leaks are seldom discovered straight immediately, and the source might be difficult to locate even for an experienced roofer. Thousands of dollars in damage can occur before the leak is even discovered!
If you are unsure whether your attic area is properly ventilated, contact a Ballwin roofing contractorto have it examined. Such an inspection is inexpensive, if not free. The expense of repairing or replacing a roof, or repairing the damage caused by water pouring into your house, might run into thousands of dollars.
If you have any concerns regarding roofing, attic ventilation, or the exterior of your home, please call Gateway Brothers Construction at (314) 341-6352 for more information or to set up a free inspection or estimate.