Attic Ventilation In The Winter

In the winter the vents will cause the attic to become cold but this should not damage your home or increase the energy use of your home so covering the roof vents is not necessary.

Attic ventilation in the winter.

Air is drawn in through the attic fan and air is expelled through the roof vent system to keep your attic cooler and drier preventing ice and moisture issues throughout the winter. In the winter allowing a natural flow of outdoor air to ventilate the attic helps keep it cold which reduces the potential for ice damming snow that melts off a roof from an attic that is too warm and then re freezes at the gutters causing an ice dam that can damage the roof. The problem isn t not enough attic ventilation the solution isn t more attic ventilation. Poor insulation is usually the culprit although if you enter the attic on sunny winter day your attic space can be warmed by the sun more than your furnace.

Unless your roofing system has insulation on the roofing deck and is designed without ventilation your furnace should not be heating your attic. Small attic vents located below the roof peaks provide sufficient ventilation to let the moisture created by heat rising into the. Intake vents located at the lowest part of the roof under the eaves allow cool. During cold winter months the attic vent fan is not necessary.

See the benefits of attic ventilation a new roof is more than just shingles. While heat migrates in the summer because your attic is acting as a giant pressure cooker in the winter the attic space is colder allowing more room for the heat to rise and bring all that warm cozy. Attic ventilation in the winter. Warm air that escapes living space also carries moisture that will condense on rafters or roof sheathing.

Effective attic ventilation systems reduce damaging heat and moisture in your attic promote energy efficiency by helping to reduce the load on your air conditioner in the summer and also reduce the risk of ice dam formation on your roof. Attic ventilation fans offer mechanical ventilation using a fan to draw in cool outside air and force out warm moist air. You would think that venting an attic would be counterintuitive in the winter or cold months. Stop the air leaks things get a whole lot better winter and summer.

Blocking the vents can even harm your home by trapping moisture inside the attic. Thick ridges of ice on your eaves in winter are a sign of poor attic ventilation. Attic ventilation works on the principle that heated air naturally rises primarily utilizing two types of vents. Snow melts and the water refreezes on the cold eaves creating ice dams.