Keep Calm And Vent The Roof
Roof ventilation is so important. Especially if you have an asphalt shingle roof. Asphalt shingles were designed to transfer heat into your attic instead of reflect it. So adequate ventilation becomes a necessary component to your roofing system and a major factor is the life expectancy of your roof.
Heat rises. We all know that. With an attic that is improperly vented or has zero ventilation, the heat gets trapped. With no where to go, it is then forced to radiate through your ceiling and into your living space (the space we pay to keep cool in the summertime). That’s why the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling inside can be as much as 8-10 degrees difference.
Also in our homes we produce moisture all rear round – cooking, showering, even breathing produces moisture. That moisture transfers into your attic space and without adequate ventilation is absorbed by your roof deck. This is the main cause of de-laminating plywood (which I see frequently when tearing off an asphalt shingle roof).
Plywood is made up of 3 or more layers of wood bonded together with adhesive. De-laminating plywood is the release of 1 or more of these layers caused from excessive moisture. It causes the product to fail prematurely – and it can be costly to replace.
The cost to install adequate ventilation in your roof is pennies compared to the cost of wood and shingle replacement plus your additional cooling costs you incur. The most cost effective ventilation on the market right now is a ridge vent. (Pictured below).
There are a lot ridge ventilation products on the market right now.
After extensive research and testing the performance of 15 different ridge vent products, the BEST ridge vent (in my opinion) is the LOMANCO LOW-OMNI ROLL.
It comes in a roll (30LF per box). This 12″ wide plastic vent has a low profile giving it an aesthetically pleasing look, it is installed across the ridge providing 1 SF of ventilation per LF. It can be installed with a pneumatic nailer or hand nailed without the risk of collapsing the vent. The convoluted baffle system allows one directional air flow.
If you are replacing your roof, now would be the optimal time to add ridge ventilation.
Roofer Gwen
Owner/Founder, Gwen Co, LLC
"Everything you love is under that roof."