Attic Ventilation
We need fresh air in the attic. The Attic is not a heated space!
Attic venting can reduce the potential for condensation in winter and summer time.
Proper ventilation in your attic helps address excess heat and moisture. A blocked soffit results in very poor venting and causes or contributes to attic condensation, moisture and potential mold contamination in buildings. Baffles or Rafter Vents have very crucial roles in properly ventilating the attic. Adding rafter vent systems will result in balanced ventilation and reducing the potential condensation.
Attics being the bigger part of your home require enough ventilation besides insulation. Attics need to be free from clogs to ensure maximum airflow. Due to the accumulation of debris, the vents become clogged. For this, there have to be certain measures taken and procedures to follow. Rafter vents are used to protect the opening (for airflow) in your attic. Attic rafter vents are also known as baffles. It ensures a clear soffit vent which enables the channel for the outside air to be transferred into the attic and flow out through the roof vents. These vents are usually placed in the attic ceiling between rafters that certainly meet the attic floor. Baffles or rafter vents play a vital role by creating a channel for air circulation from your soffit (underside edge of the roof) to the ridge (roof peak). An entire length of baffles of a rafter bay from the soffit to ridge vent can work the best for your attic. With rafter vents or baffles, your attic floor can be covered with insulation where the floor connects the roof.
Attic or roof venting without adequate soffit intake venting, will increase your building heating costs and lead to other problems as mentioned above.
Proper Attic ventilation, drastically reduces your heating costs in the Winter and Air Conditioning costs in the Summer.
Heat and moisture buildup in an attic cause predictable but different problems in hot and cold climates; areas with hot summers and cold winters can suffer the effects of both. Attic venting can reduce the potential for condensation in winter and summer. During winter, the primary cause of attic moisture issues stems from warm moist air infiltrating into the attic space from the inhabited areas and condensing on cold surfaces. Too often, mechanical ventilation ducts from bathrooms, kitchens, or laundry rooms deposit warm, moist air into the attic instead of outside the building envelope.
Reasons to use venting assemblies in the Attic.
A combination of air-sealing and insulating the attic floor while providing ventilation considerably reduces the potential for condensation, as warm moist air is less likely to enter the space and condense on cold surfaces. As a result, cooler, less humid air from outside can be drawn in from soffit vents placed on the roof’s lower portion, allowing the flow through to the rooftop or ridge vents, replacing warmer moist air that may have infiltrated into the attic.