Attic Roof Vents

Attic roof vents act as a ventilating system to keep your attic cool in the warmer months and prevent the buildup of moisture inside the room when it's cool. This area of your home plays an important role in regulating indoor temperatures and keeping your utility bills within an affordable range. In the warmer seasons, when attic temperatures may exceed 150 degrees, your air conditioning attic system must work harder to keep the house cool if the attic isn't adequately ventilated. Attic roof vents allow hot air to escape, keeping the interior temperature at a moderate level.

Vents serve a practical function, but well designed attic roof vents may also accent the exterior of your home and enhance its visual appeal. Roof vents are available in a variety of styles and colors, with louvers that can be stained or painted to match the roof, itself. You can install stylish, weather resistant wood, metal or urethane attic roof vents that will add to the beauty of your house while improving the quality of the interior air. Photos of the latest vents may convince you that these features can be as attractive as they are useful.

Ventilating and Insulating Your Home

When you're making plans for an attic remodel, include vents in your remodeling ideas. If you don't have attic roof vents in place, or you want to increase ventilation, discuss your ideas with a professional local contractor. Whether you use this space exclusively for storage or as a guest room, office or bonus room, adequate ventilation is a must. The cost of installing new roof vents will be far more reasonable than the cost of cooling or heating a poorly ventilated house.

In summertime, the area below your roof may be the hottest part of the house. Heat has a natural tendency to rise, and as outdoor temperatures climb, so does the temperature inside your home. Much of that hot air will flow up to the top of the house, where it will create additional work for your air conditioning system. In the winter, cold air can leak into your house through a poorly insulated roof, and heated air may escape if there are gaps in your insulation.

Attic roof vents allow the upper area of your house to "breathe." Stale air escapes through the openings, while the louvers protect the interior against moisture and debris. In this sense, vents act as filters, keeping dust, leaves and insects out of the interior of your attic. Meanwhile, fresh air is allowed to flow into this region of the building, cooling the interior.

Building codes in many areas require that homeowners install these devices to expel moisture from the house. Moisture can undermine the structural integrity of a house and damage the insulating materials. When you're remodeling this area of your residence, consult an experienced contractor about the codes that apply to your structure.

Attic roof vents may be installed on gables, under the eaves along the roof itself. You may install one of these features, or combine them for maximum ventilating and cooling potential. Consult a licensed contractor about how to achieve optimal ventilation by combining soffit, ridge or gable louvers. By combining these features, you may achieve the most efficient airflow and reduce the workload on your air conditioner.

Attic Exhaust Fans

Over time, the ventilating systems in a house can make an enormous difference in the longevity of the structure. When moisture builds up inside the upper portion of the building, the roofing and ceiling may eventually be damaged. Heat can damage the roofing material, leading to costly repairs.

While attic roof vents can be an important addition to your home, these passive systems may not be enough to cool your interior and keep the air fresh in the upper regions of the house. Most attics can benefit from an exhaust fan, which pulls the hot air out of the room and releases it outdoors. Working in tandem with the louvers, an exhaust fan can be a powerful tool for ventilating your dwelling.

Programmed fans are sensitive to heat or moisture, and they will turn on automatically if the temperature or humidity rises to a certain point. Fans keep the interior dry, discouraging the growth of mold or mildew. As stale, hot interior air is exhausted to the outdoors, louvers provide an easy way for these drafts to exit.

Attic roof vents are a cost effective, sustainable way to cool and ventilate the air inside your house. Nowadays, more homeowners are choosing to ventilate their attics with architectural features that are stylish and attractive as well as useful and cost effective. Compare quotes from several of the most experienced contractors in your area to find a team that will advise you on the best methods for keeping your house comfortable throughout the year.