HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-10-20, Page 26PAGE 26. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1999.
JTome Improvement
Letting attic breathe
stops winter problems
While people know it’s important
to seal drafts in the living area of
their home for winter comfort,
many don't know it’s just as
important to keep their attic
breathing freely to keep the home
warm. A poorly ventilated attic can
create numerous wintertime
problems that can reduce the
effectiveness of insulation, cause
roof damage, and create rotting in
roof trusses and other timbers.
Good attic ventilation is as
important as enough insulation.
Although winter may seem cold
and dry, unseen moisture
constantly is escaping from your
home’s living spaces. This
moisture can condense in your attic
insulation, reducing the ability of
the insulation to keep heat in the
home, where it belongs. Venting
the moist air out of the attic keeps
the insulation dry and the home
warm.
If an attic is not properly vented,
heat escaping from the home is
trapped and can increase the air
temperature in the attic to begin
melting snow on the roof. This
melting snow will refreeze again
when it reaches the eaves, causing
ice dams.
These ice dams, if severe enough,
may cause this melting snow to
back up under the shingles. Many
times, so much water backs up that
it drips through the roof deck into
the attic insulation. Enough
moisture buildup in the insulation
eventually will damage interior
ceiling and wall surfaces.
In addition, moisture from
condensation and ice dams can
accelerate damage to the structural
wood materials in the roof and
walls.
Improving your attic ventilation
is as easy as I-2-3.
1. Install continuous ridge
venting along the roof peak. This is
where the hot air is exhausted from
the attic. The ridge vent should be
durable and weather-resistant. If
it's impractical to install ridge
vents, several traditional roof vents
(roof louvers) should be installed as
near to the ridge as possible.
2. Install continuous soffit-
ventilation strips under the eaves.
These soffit vents allow fresh,
cooler air to enter the attic. Because
air will be drawn into the vents,
make sure they have a fine mesh
screen to prevent insects from
entering. Soffit vents should be
made of aluminum or plastic to
prevent rusting.
3. From inside the attic, install
attic-ventilation channels between
the rafters to maintain an
unobstructed air channel over the
insulation. Without these
ventilation channels, a good flow of
air up and out the ridge vent won’t
occur. These vents also prevent
windblown insulation from
plugging or blocking the air flow
from the soffits.
Ventilation channels traditionally
have been made of cardboard or
foam, but are being replaced by
more durable and easily installed
rigid plastic products.
Improving a home’s attic
ventilation system, particularly in
homes older than 10 years, is one
of the simplest and most important
tasks a homeowner can do to
optimize energy efficiency of the
home and prevent long-term
moisture problems. Ask your local
building-material retailer for more
information on ventilation and
insulation products.
& J
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Jon Eakes, answers the myriad of
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One potentially serious problem
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Watch for Jon on HGTV Canada.
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