United Roofing's Blog

Roofing MN | Roof Ventilation

Your Roof’s Ventilation System Could Be Costing You Money One of the most important aspects of the way your roof is designed and built is proper ventilation. You simply cannot over-estimate its importance. Improper ventilation allows formation of condensation, moisture accumulation, and damage to the roof deck and will eventually lead to the instability of the roof. Your family’s health can also be affected by improper roof ventilation. What Will Happen If A Roof Doesn’t Have Proper Ventilation? The industry standard for roof ventilation to provide 1 square foot of intake ventilation and 1 square foot of exhaust or outflow ventilation for every 300 square feet of attic space, provided the area is insulated with a vapor barrier.  If the area is insulated without a vapor barrier, the requirement doubles. Proper ventilation of the roof and attic of a home will achieve several important functions: It makes your attic space cooler It makes your home more energy efficient It prevents condensation and accumulation of moisture on the inside of the roof deck, and will prevent rotting of the roof deck It will reduce the risk of fire Several types of vents can be used to adequately ventilate your roof. Roof ridge vents are placed along the ridge line of the roof. Ridge vents are used for exhaust or outflow of moisture, heat, and stale air. Soffit vents and Eaves are placed at the lower extremes of the roof and provide the intake ventilation.  If you live in an older home, your roof might not be constructed for roof ridge or soffit vents. Older homes were not built with the tight seals of today’s...

Roof Damage | Repair Roof Damage | Roof Ventilation

Poor Roof Ventilation Can Cause Shingle Damage There is a great deal of moisture that accumulates in a home. This moisture, like heat, rises and works its way to the top of your home. Without adequate ventilation, this moisture would accumulate and cause the top of your home to deteriorate. Ventilation allows this moisture to escape and helps bring balance to the moisture that accumulates on the roof as well. Ceiling fans, vents and ridge vents all make up the ventilation system that ensures a home, attic and roof have ample air to release moisture. The roof ventilation systems consist of both intake and exhale vents. These vents balance the air between the roof and the attic. Why Do Roofs Need Ventilation? If your home doesn’t have proper ventilation, you will experience a number of problems. Moisture will accumulate and cause various parts of your roofing system to deteriorate. Excess moisture can cause shingles become warped or loose and possibly slip off. If the water damage extends to the underlayment, wood underneath the roof can warp or buckle. This can lead to structural damage and may extend into the trusses or rafters. If these structures become damaged, they may fail to support the roof. It is extremely important that your roof has ventilation according to code specifications and that the ventilation system is working properly. The best way to ensure that your ventilation system is installed properly is to hire a Minnesota roofing...

Roofing MN | Roof Ventilation and Energy Efficiency

Ventilation is Key To The Life Of Your Roof More than ever, homeowners are frustrated by poor-performing roofing products, especially when a new roof costs between $5,000 and $10,000 and lasts only 12 to 15 years. In some cases, it is a bad brand of materials. More often, however, inadequate attic ventilation is the culprit. Building standards, driven by energy shortages, have sewn up the homes that we live in tighter than a drum. Surprisingly, standards of ventilation adopted in the 1930s are still in use today. Therefore, most homes are very under-ventilated. Home Ventilation and Energy-Efficiency If you take a moment and think about it, it’s easy to understand why ventilation and energy-efficiency is a catch-22. Many of the principles of creating an energy-efficient home deal with locking air inside the home to prevent heat loss. This, in turn, creates an environment of continuously recycled air. In recent years, indoor air pollution has become more of a problem than outdoor air pollution. Air filtration systems can help purify this recycled air, but energy-efficient homes lock in moisture as well as air. This can lead to condensation forming on your windows, mold problems, and roofing failures caused by wood rot and ice dams. Roof ventilation is the best and, in most cases, the only way to prevent these air and moisture problems. Roof Ventilation Roof ventilation is a major concern to anyone who is thinking about having their home re-roofed. It is common for the average household to produce from four to five pounds of water vapor per day. To illustrate how much water that is, go to your...
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