Most people hardly bother about the insulation or ventilation of their attics. In fact, the only times they step in their attic is, when there is an unannounced visit from an intruder such as bat or squirrel or to inspect if there are any leakages in the roof. But did you know that poor ventilation may force you to pay hundreds of dollars in excess, towards utility bills? There are simple ways of minimizing your electricity and other utility bills. Out of these, attic ventilation and attic insulation are the easiest ways of cutting your electricity bills. Let us know a few attic venting requirements that will allow you to effectively reduce your energy consumption.
Attic Ventilation Requirements and Benefits
It has been observed that less than 10% of homes follow the norms of proper attic ventilation. The remaining homes have no attic insulation or have poor insulation. Given below is a checklist to ensure proper ventilation in attic, against various environmental parameters.
Heat
Hot air is less denser and hence, has a tendency to move upwards. Due to lack of attic insulation, the air gets trapped in the attic. This hot air then moves to your living space and heats up your entire home. During summer, the temperature of attic is about 155 to 160 degrees, whereas the outdoor temperature is only 105 degrees. The air conditioning system works according to the difference in interior and exterior temperature. Thus, a difference of about 50 degrees, puts a substantial load on your air conditioner. As a result, it draws more power to keep working and maintain the optimum temperature in the house. Hence, it is a must to have vents located as high as possible in the attic, so that exchange of air takes place and attic doesn't get heated up.
Moisture
Trapped moisture can play havoc with your insulation and roof. During winter, the air condenses and the moisture gets trapped inside the attic, in the absence of proper ventilation. This moisture may creep into your attic insulation and soak it. Wet, soaked insulation is the last thing you want in your attic. Wet insulation is completely useless and serves no purpose of insulation. Trapped moisture also finds its way inside the wall and causes the paint to bubble, peel and crack. Moisture also causes tremendous damage to roof and reduces its life by several years. Similarly, moisture also promotes mold and mildew growth and can inflict lasting damage upon your entire structure.
Rain and Snow
If you have improper vents in your attic, you would be inviting rain and snow right inside your home. Improperly designed vents do not pull in sufficient air, as a result a reverse effect is demonstrated by pulling in rain and snow during storms. A properly ventilated attic pushes out rain and snow and protects your home.
Improperly ventilated attic aggravates the deterioration of roofing shingles and forces them to wear out at a much faster rate. If you have a poorly ventilated home, your shingle manufacturer might void his warranty.
No matter what type of ventilation you use for your home, it is imperative that you have one square feet of ventilation per 300 feet of area. Out of this one square feet ventilation, half should be reserved for air intake while the remainder should be for exhaust purpose.
Thus, if you adhere to attic ventilation rules and requirements, you can easily reduce your electricity bills and extend the life of your roof and other structures.
