Consumer Education > Articles > “The Importance of Proper Roof Ventilation”
When choosing a roofing contractor and a roofing product it is important that the ventilation requirements and needs of your specific home are addressed properly. Proper ventilation will prevent premature aging of your roof system, increase the longevity of your roof system and increase energy-efficiency of your home.
Good ventilation creates a cooler attic in the summer and a drier attic in the winter, and it also helps to prevent ice dams. In a home with poor ventilation the heat in the attic may eventually reach 140 degrees on a 90-degree day. Also, an overhead attic, combined with moisture, can be damaging to the roof decking and roofing shingles, causing them to distort and deteriorate prematurely. In the winter, the moist warm air from the lower portions of your home rise through the ceiling area into the attic. In the cold attic the warm moist air condenses on the cold surface of the rafters, the nails and other metals, and the attic side of the roof deck.
This moisture can create several problems:
- The condensation can swell the roof deck
- The high level of condensing moisture may also promote a perfect mold-breeding environment
- The water can rot the roof deck and decrease nail-holding capability
- Sever condensation can drip onto the insulation
- Ice dams are more likely to develop
To read more about the Importance of Proper Roof Ventilation with your GAF Roof Replacement System, click here!
