It’s a terrible thing – attics are one of the most overlooked areas of the home. The average person spends little to no time in this space, so it’s quite easy to forget it exists. Unfortunately, the attic functions as more than just a place to store the old baseball card collection. In fact, a properly ventilated attic is crucial for maintaining energy efficiency and moisture control in your home.

Summertime Attic Ventilation

During the warm weather months often experienced here in Southeast Michigan, attic temperatures can soar right off the charts. Proper ventilation is vital to keeping attic space temperatures lower, reducing overall cooling costs for the entire home. With a well-ventilated attic, your air conditioning will not waste energy – and dollars – pumping cold air upward toward that attic. Your ventilated attic is also providing a protective cushion around the home from the external heat. Even if your attic has plenty of insulation, you will not have true efficiency during summer months unless it is adequately ventilated. In fact, having lots of insulation with no ventilation can actually cause your home’s internal temperatures to rise in the summer.

Your roof also benefits from a ventilated attic. The roof really takes a hit during the heat of the summer, and while the shingles are designed to stand up to harsh conditions, they tend to break down faster when overheated. Because insulation can help to retain solar heat even after the sun has set, proper attic ventilation will prolong the lifespan of roofing shingles by providing cooling to the underside of the roof.

Wintertime Attic Ventilation

Moisture invading your house and attic is another serious problem – and attic ventilation is a solution. Even if your home has vapor barriers installed, there are still gaps that can allow moisture to enter the home and attic. On top of that, normal everyday activities such as cooking and washing clothes fill the house with water vapor in exceedingly large quantities. Exhaust fans, ceiling light fixtures, and other similar devices are all also entry points for moisture. Condensation forms within the walls and on your roof, which can lead to a buildup of mildew and mold, and will eventually result in straight-up rot. The best way to keep moisture build-up from becoming a serious issue is to avoid it all together, and attic ventilation can do just that.

Proper attic ventilation can also help with the harsh winters that Detroit and Southeast Michigan are so famous for. Perhaps the most important aspect of ventilation is its ability to prevent moisture build-up that leads to the dreaded ice dams.

Types of Ventilation

Attic insulation and proper ventilation can be the best things you will ever do for your attic, your roof, and your entire home. So what are the best ways to vent?

Installing vents after your house has been constructed can be a pain. Luckily, there are several different types of vents that can be installed in existing homes with very little disruption to your life. Vent types are divided into mechanical and non-mechanical varieties. Except for a few special situations, mechanical fans for residential dwellings are generally considered overkill, as non-mechanical vents do the job, are less expensive, and require less long-term maintenance.

One of the best types of non-mechanical vents is the basic gable vent. Installed on the uppermost point of the attic wall just below the roof, it provides basic ventilation but tends to only circulate air at the top of the roof. Perhaps the best type of non-mechanical ventilation overall is a combination of ridge and soffit vents. Ridge vents run along the length of the roof peak, while soffit vents are installed at intervals along the soffit. This combination is highly effective at regulating temperature and moisture, but can be a difficult install without the proper equipment. Unless you have taken on this type of project before, you may want to leave it to a professional.