Our attics are a rarely thought-of space within our homes that serve an important function. While they may serve as additional storage space, they’re often where the home’s heating and cooling systems can be found. Even when these aren’t present, your attic plays an important role in protecting your home and maintaining a comfortable environment.
Without proper roof ventilation, you can experience potentially expensive problems.
Your HVAC system, gutters, roof and overall structure of your home can all be affected by improper ventilation so it’s best to be aware of both the obvious and not so obvious signs.
How to Identify Roof Ventilation Problems in Your Home
The most important thing a home or business owner can do is learn to identify the signs of problems developing within their home. Recognizing these indicators means you can take early action that will help avoid lasting consequences or costly repairs.
Here are six primary signs that your home may be experiencing issues with roof ventilation.
● Poor Cooling the Summer – When your home is getting uncomfortably hot, the problem may not be your cooling system. Instead, it could be a sign that your attic isn’t properly ventilated and hot air is becoming trapped. In two-story homes, this will be far more noticeable in upstairs rooms.
● Gutters Freezing in Winter – Your attic radiates heat throughout the year, and this helps keep your rain gutters flowing smoothly during freezing weather. When the water in your gutters is freezing and causing ice dams, it’s time to check your attic. Another indicator of this may be icicles forming on the gutters.
● Roofs That Sag – Poor ventilation makes it possible for condensation to form in your attic. If you have roof decking that’s sagging or becoming discolored, it’s time to have an expert check the ventilation in your attic. If left unaddressed, the excess moisture can cause lasting damage and the need for expensive repairs.
● Mold and Rust – Mold and mildew thrive in warm, moist environments, which are conditions that also make it easy for rust to build up. When an attic isn’t ventilating properly, you’ll see the signs beginning to appear there. You may notice mold and mildew forming in insulation and on wood surfaces, and metal fixtures will show signs of rust. Finally, you may also notice a musty odor coming from the attic.
● Animal Infestation – The same conditions that make poorly ventilated attics perfect environments for mold and rust also invite termites. The abundance of wood material and the moisture and humidity poor ventilation provides will draw them in. These conditions also make your attic space attractive to rodents and other types of insects.
● Asphalt Shingles Cracking or Curling – Poor ventilation may also lead to the shingles on your roof failing prematurely. As these conditions worsen, you’ll find that your roof leaks more and will need to be fully replaced if not addressed quickly.
If you notice any of these signs of poor ventilation, it’s time to call in the professionals. A company such as Level Up Improvement in Dearborn are experts in dealing with these problems quickly so that homeowners can avoid long-term consequences.
Contact Your Roof Ventilation Experts for Lasting Solutions
Correcting problems with your attic ventilation needs to happen quickly to avoid problems. More importantly, it has to be done correctly to ensure your solutions don’t become more problems. The roofing contractors at Level Up Improvement ensure that the right solutions are used for your Michigan home.
Our decade-plus years of experience backs our knowledge and skill when it comes to your roof and attic ventilation. Upon a thorough inspection, we’ll determine whether your home needs ridge vents, box vents, attic vents with powered fans, whirlybird ventilation, or some other approach. Even when using the right types of ventilation, you won’t get results if they aren’t properly installed.
Our home efficiency and improvement services are comprehensive so that all parts of your home will be in check including siding, insulation, windows and more. As preferred roofing contractors throughout the Detroit Metro area, we guarantee our work as well as our products. If you have questions or concerns about your home, call and speak to a roofing expert today!