Roof Ventilation: How Does It Work?

Ventilation is a crucial component of your residential roofing system. It helps keep your roof dry and cool by preventing heat and moisture from building up inside your attic. With proper design and installation, roof ventilation—combined with attic insulation—provides excellent moisture and temperature control to protect your home from potential damage and ensure consistent indoor comfort year-round. 

In this blog, roofing and siding contractor Shine Construction Inc. explains how roof ventilation works and why it is important for your home.

The Basics of Roof Ventilation

Roof ventilation takes advantage of a system of intake and exhaust vents installed at strategic intervals in the attic or roof area. Intake vents, which are located at the lowest part of the roof under the eaves, allow cool air to enter the attic. Exhaust vents, which are installed at the peak of the roof like the ridge, allow hot, moist air to escape.

Through passive ventilation, air circulates through the attic, with cool air pushing out the hot air out of the attic. To ensure the continuous flow of air, roofing and window replacement contractors install at least one square foot of vent for every 300 square feet of attic floor. Correct design and construction are crucial to ensuring a precise balance between intake and exhaust ventilation.

The Importance of Roof Ventilation

Without proper roof ventilation, you’ll face various problems that can affect not just your roof but also your home. As the sun heats the roof surface during hot weather, expect the attic temperatures to rise as well. With inadequate ventilation, the shingles may age prematurely and cause the sheathing to warp. The heat inside the attic can also radiate indoors, which can be a bad thing for your home’s energy use.

This problem can also encourage mold and mildew growth inside the attic, compromising your roof’s structural integrity. Not only that, but these issues can also affect indoor air quality, resulting in health problems for everyone in your household. With enough damage, you may find yourself investing in a roof replacement sooner than expected.

Shine Construction Inc. specializes in high-quality roofing services. When we install new roofing systems, we make sure that they have adequate ventilation. We also inspect and perform maintenance and repairs to ensure your existing roof vents don’t have any problems. Count on us for your siding replacement needs as well. Call us today at (508) 278-3300 or fill out our contact form to get a free quote.