Roof ventilation is designed to do two things: remove hot air during the summer and remove moisture during the winter. It is crucial to keep your attic well-ventilated to preserve the integrity of your roof.
When it gets hot in the summer, your air-conditioning system works double time. Roof vents can help cool down your home and lower your electricity bill. In the winter, you can expect a lot of condensation inside your attic. Roof vents are built to remove the excessive moisture that could cause water damage to your home.
Intake vents vs exhaust vents
There are two main categories of roof ventilation: intake vents that draw outside air in, and exhaust vents that push attic air out. Newcastle roofers typically install a combination of the two in order to circulate air properly through your attic. Intake vents are installed at the soffits or eaves while exhaust vents are placed on top of the roof.
How Newcastle roofers can help you choose the right kind of roof ventilation
Soffit vents draw fresh air into the roof ventilation system. Made of aluminium or PVC, these are fitted around the perimeter of the home to increase airflow.
There are plenty of types of exhaust vents available, but Newcastle roof restoration specialists often use static vents, wind turbines, power vents, ridge vents, or gable-end vents.
- Static vents
Static exhaust vents are also called box vents, low profile vents, louvers, flat vents, or turtle vents. Static means they have no moving parts. These individual vents made of metal or heavy-duty plastic are installed at the highest point or near the ridge of a roof to let hot air and moisture escape. To install a static vent, Newcastle roofers typically cut a hole through the roof.
- Ridge vents
Another type of static vent, ridge vents are installed along the length of the roof ridge. They work perfectly with soffit vents to provide an even distribution of attic temperature.
- Wind turbines
Although wind turbines have moving parts, they do not run on motors and rely on natural wind instead to circulate air through the fan blades. As wind rotates the fan, hot air and moisture are drawn up from the ventilated space. Wind turbines are more powerful than static vents but their efficiency is dependent on wind speed and turbine size.
- Electric and solar-powered vents
Powered attic vents feature large fans that are driven by an electric or solar power source. Some are even designed with adjustable thermostats so that the fan automatically activates when the attic reaches a pre-set temperature.
High-end power vents can also detect humidity levels for moisture removal. Powered attic vents are either hard-wired into the home electrical system or built with solar panels.
Get in touch with a Newcastle roofing specialist today
Roof ventilation can be tricky and should only be done by Newcastle roof restoration experts. Installing multiple types of ventilation systems does not mean always better air circulation. You don’t want your exhaust vent to become an intake vent and push hot air into the home instead of letting it escape. Note that powered vents should never be placed on the same slope as a ridge vent as they could pull moisture into the roof instead expelling it.
Discuss your ventilation needs with a Newcastle roofing contractor to determine the best ventilation system for your home. Contact our team at Amazing Roof Restoration today and schedule a consultation.