If you're not this type of person, then you probably know somebody who is: the type who blasts cold air through the air conditioner while driving with the window cracked open on a warm day.
Fundamentally, this person appreciates the value of ventilation, or trying to achieve a healthy balance between warm and cool air.
If not in the car, you're likely to appreciate the value of ventilation in your home on those cool Las Vegas nights, when you can turn off the air conditioner, open your windows and let the cool breezes “air out” your home. Your indoor air feels refreshed because ventilation:
- Flushes out airborne contaminants, which intensify the longer your windows remain closed
- Lowers humidity levels
- Reduces and eliminates moisture that could lead to mildew and mold
If these fundamentals of ventilation make sense, you're well on your way to understanding the importance of attic ventilation and why it's particularly important that the most trusted Las Vegas roofing contractors, First Quality Roofing & Insulation, inspect your attic before the temperatures plummet.
Why your attic needs ventilation
Just as some people need a balance between warm and cool air in their car, your attic must achieve a proper temperature balance, too. If you've ever entered your attic on a stifling hot summer day, you know how your attic captures heat. A well ventilated attic moves some of that stifling air out of the attic and outdoors. Otherwise, all that hot air will eventually descend through the attic ceiling and walls, heating up your home and causing your air conditioner to run longer. In the winter, a well ventilated attic prevents moisture buildup (and, in colder climates, the buildup of ice and ice dams on the roof).
What ventilation requires
Just as that driver strives for a balance between cool air through the open vents of an air conditioner and an open window, a well ventilated attic requires a balances between intake vents installed in the soffit/overhang, or near the roof’s lowest edge, and exhaust vents, installed at or near the peak of the roof. This plan is designed to encourage dry, cool air to enter the attic at the lowest point while removing warm, moist air from inside the attic through the exhaust vents. Achieving a 50-50 balance between intake and exhaust vents isn't always possible, but the experienced Las Vegas roofing contractors at First Quality Roofing & Insulation can help you come close.
Attic ventilation requires the “finishing touches”
Your home may already feature an attic fan, which cools down a hot attic by drawing in cooler, outside air from the attic vents while pushing hot air outdoors. But all your efforts will be for naught if your attic isn't properly sealed and insulated. While First Quality commends the spirit of do-it-yourselfers, the most common error they make when installing insulation is unwittingly covering the vents with it, thereby blocking airflow -- and undermining all their good intentions.
To ensure that your attic is well ventilated and well insulated, call First Quality, the most reputable Las Vegas roofing contractors, for a free attic insulation evaluation at 702-262-7847. We might drive to your home with our windows cracked open, but at least now you'll understand why.
