Proper Roof Ventilation
How can you determine if the roof is properly ventilated?
When contractors say a roof should breathe, they are usually referring to the ventilation system beneath the roof deck. Most shingle warranties require a lot of ventilation—as much as one square foot of net free ventilation area for each 150 square feet of floor space to be vented or one square foot per 300 square feet when both ridge and soffit ventilators are used.
An effective ventilation system will help:
- Reduce attic heat buildup
- Reduce attic moisture and condensation
- Prevent weather infiltration such as snow or rain
- Prevent ice dam build-up
Even if you feel you’ve had satisfactory ventilation performance with your old roof for as long as 20 years, it might be necessary to add ventilation with your new roof to meet the standards mentioned previously.
