Your attic is a crucial part of your roof in Oldsmar, FL. The conditions in the attic often hold an important influence over your roof’s health. An attic with inadequate ventilation lets humidity build-up. This will cause the onset of roof deck rot. The heat build-up inside the attic will affect the shingles also. Thus the health of the attic is vital for the health of the other components of a roof but the unfortunate fact is that the attic is often taken for granted and minimum notice is paid to it as opposed to the meticulous attention paid to the exterior of the roof.
Signs that show a problem in your attic
1. Escalated energy bills
If your attic is not ventilated properly then heat and moisture will accumulate. This will increase the heat inside the house and cause the A/C unit to work overtime, resulting in escalated energy bills.
2. Discoloration on the ceiling
The accumulated moisture often affects the ceiling. Some common signs are stains and discoloration. This often soaks the ceiling and makes it sag and fall in.
3. Rust
Periodic attic inspections are essential. This will reveal the anomalous conditions in the attic if any. The rusting of metal components of the roof should never be overlooked. The rust around the lighting fixtures also denotes excess humidity in the attic.
4. Mold and mildew
If it’s humid and hot inside the attic, there is a possibility of mold and mildew growth which causes the onset of rot in the attic and decking. The mildew and mold are the principal allergens that will affect the health of the occupants of the house.
5. A hot ceiling
If your ceiling is hot to touch on a sunny day, it shows that the heat build-up in your attic is high. This means that the air circulation inside the attic is deficient.
How to go about acquiring the optimum ventilation in your attic
The weather conditions in Oldsmar, Florida remain moist and hot for the best part of the year. So optimum attic ventilation that helps circulate air through the attic, rendering it dry and cool is extremely necessary. There are different kinds of vents. There are attic vents with moving parts and others without moving parts.
Static Vents
1. Box vents
These are vents that are installed on the top portion of a roof. The hot air escapes through it. The vent does not have any moving parts but installed in a hole on the roof. This depends on the natural convection for air circulation.
2. Soffit vents
These are vents that are installed on a much lower part of a roof, in the soffit. This is also a static vent that uses natural convection. As the hot air escapes through the top vents the cool air enters the roof through the soffit vents thus creating a perfect flow of air through the attic.
3. Ridge vents
These are another kind of static vents. These run through the entire ridge on the roof. One advantage of a ridge vent is that it provides even ventilation and the other is that it is aesthetically pleasing as it runs through the whole of the roof ledge.
4. Cupola vents
These add to the beauty of a house if built artfully. These are tower-like structures on the roof with artfully built small windows all around. These vents also depend on convection.
Dynamic vents
These are vents with fans and other moving parts. The movement of these parts drives air out of the attic and provides excellent ventilation.
1. Turbines
These vents include moving parts and fans that pump out hot air from the attic making it dry and moist-free. These vents move on ball bearings using wind energy, without the help of a motor.
2. Power Vents
These, as the name indicates, are powered with electrical or solar energy. The fans work with the help of electricity. The best type of ventilation for your roof depends on the design of your roof. So to decide on it, it is always advisable to consult an expert roofer.