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So why is ventilation important when it comes to your roof? There are few main reasons, but before we dive in, let's review the basics.<br>
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ABOUT US Here at Roofing 2000, we are specialists in the repair and Restoration of a range of domestic and Commercial Roofing solutions and materials, from lead roofing to roof tiles and wall cladding. We are roofing contractor with 30 years experience, specializing in commercial roofing, industrial roofing, domestic roofing & colorbond roofing projects. we are able to provide a wide range of roofing services for homeowners and commercial clients’ properties.
Adequate roof ventilation is of crucial importance to the overall maintenance and protection of your property. You ignore it at your peril. • For many homeowners, the big consideration when it comes to the roof is insulation. And while this of course can be an important aspect for keeping your house warm and reducing energy costs, the reality is that neglecting roof ventilation can have some serious, and indeed costly, repercussions.
Condensation and Damp One of the critical issues with poorly roof ventilation is the potential for problems with damp caused by condensation. Condensation will occur when warmer, moist air comes into contact with a colder surface. Such a scenario can arise in your loft when warm air from the living areas of your home rises into the cooler roof area. As the moisture in the air meets the cold surfaces in the roof it condenses, forming water droplets which can drip and collect on the floor and joists, causing widespread dampness. As you might imagine, the impact of this dampness can be extremely harmful to your home both in the short and long term, affecting everything from structure and décor to living quality and even our health.
Some of the major effects of condensation from inadequate roof ventilation are: • Structural damage to joists and fixtures. • Degradation of insulation through damp penetration. • Can induce rot in your woodwork and other surfaces. • Damage to internal décor such as wallpaper, plaster and paintwork. • Growth of mould which can be unsightly and potentially unhealthy.
Some of the major effects of condensation from inadequate roof ventilation are: • Structural damage to joists and fixtures. • Degradation of insulation through damp penetration. • Can induce rot in your woodwork and other surfaces. • Damage to internal décor such as wallpaper, plaster and paintwork. • Growth of mould which can be unsightly and potentially unhealthy.
A Problem of the Modern Home Condensation can be a major problem in the modern family dwelling; brought on by factors such as the way we use our heating and energy sources, the appliances we use and how we insulate our properties. And, as we grow ever more aware of conserving energy in the home, we seek to find ways of retaining heat through insulation in our ceilings, cavities and through things such as double glazing. All of which lead to the increased likelihood of higher levels of condensation, much of which will find its way into our roof areas. Warm air rises and, as it can generally pass through most modern building materials, it often finds its escape route is an upwards one. We tend to find the problem is at its most acute during the winter months, typically between October and March when average temperatures are at their lowest. This is also the time when we tend to keep doors shut more often and, of course, has the central heating on.
How does roof ventilation help? By ensuring you have an adequate level of roof ventilation in your roof you can make significant strides towards preventing the build-up of condensation and the associated problems of damp that this causes. Having sufficient ventilation allows for the warmer air from your living areas to escape outside, while also providing the facility to allow colder air from outside to be drawn in. This can help equalize the roof temperature with the outside temperature, minimizing the ability for condensation to form on the interior surfaces. An effective method for delivering roof ventilation and keeping condensation at bay is by adopting vents within the roof ridges or the eaves. As the warm air rises, so the vents offer it a path to escape through the ridge, while eave vents can draw colder air into the roof space from the outside. By adopting this kind of simple but effective roof ventilation system you can create a flow of air within the roof space which can ensure a room temperature that is similar to the outside temperature. And in so doing you can significantly reduce the conditions for condensation to occur.
An Important Solution to a Modern Issue Of course we want to ensure our homes our energy efficient, insulated and cost effective and we’ll likely introduce measures towards that goal. However, in doing so we need to be aware of the side-effects; the increased propensity for condensation levels and the potential hazards that can bring. Which is the reason we need to consider appropriate roof ventilation to ensure that, when we are full of hot air, it’s not going to tear strips of the walls?
What products can you use to ventilate your roof? Most new pitched roofs are fitted with Breathable Felt underneath tiles and slates as opposed to older 'non breathable' felts. You can read more about this in this article 'Pitched Roof Breathable Membranes' Tile Vents are a relatively cheap way to ventilate your roof space; they are manufactured to mimic the look of roof tiles and are installed by simply removing 2 tiles and sliding the vent in before securing it into place. Ridge vents are a very effective way of ventilating a roof, installed under the ridge of the roof these easy to install parts ensure adequate air-flow the entire length of the ridge. Over fascia vents. These are installed over the fascia but under the eaves course, this allows for roof ventilation all around the eaves of the roof.