You might think that letting outdoor air into your attic will make your utility bills rise, but your attic actually needs good ventilation. The amount of airflow in your attic can have a significant impact on the temperature in the rest of your home and how much you spend for heating and cooling.
If you’ve been surprised or dismayed by higher utility bills, improving the air circulation in your attic might help. Better ventilation can also prevent roof damage, mold and other problems associated with excess moisture and condensation.
Why Your Attic Needs Good Air Circulation
If your attic is poorly ventilated, it can get unbearably hot in the summer. That buildup of heat can cause the temperature in the living area to rise, make your air conditioner work harder to keep the house cool and cause your utility bills to skyrocket.
Poor air circulation in the attic can also lead to problems in the winter. Hot air that accumulates in the attic can melt snow on the roof. Water can then flow down to the eaves, where it’s colder and refreezes. Ice can accumulate and form large ice dams that can damage your roof and gutters.
How to Spot Signs of Poor Attic Ventilation
There are simple ways to figure out if your attic needs better air circulation. In the summer, touch the ceiling in a room below the attic. If it feels warm, that means that hot air is getting trapped in the attic. If you see ice dams on your roof or in the gutters during the winter, that’s another tell-tale sign of poor attic ventilation.
Ways to Improve Airflow in Your Attic
Inspect the vents in the attic and look for any obstructions. A sheet of insulation, a stack of boxes, a bird’s or rodent’s nest or some other type of object might be blocking a vent.
Local building codes set standards for the amount of ventilation per square foot, but the minimum that’s required isn’t always enough to do the job. If you live in a hot, humid region, you might need to install additional vents.
Your attic might also benefit from one or more fans. They can actively draw hot air out of the attic so you won’t have to rely solely on passive ventilation. Fans can run off electricity or solar power.
Get Help From a Local Contractor
You might suspect that you need to improve air circulation in your attic but might not know the best way to go about it. An experienced contractor can perform an inspection, identify the source of the problem and recommend a solution.
