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06 August, 2023

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HOW PROPER ATTIC INSULATION HELPS YOUR ROOF

06 August, 2023

ROOFING IN HOUSTON

The performance of your roof involves more than durable roofing shingles. It takes a complete roofing system—including ventilation and insulation products—to maximize your roof’s performance and durability.

These elements work together to provide additional comfort and help to:

Extend the life of your roof

Save money on heating and cooling costs

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

ATTIC VENTILATION + INSULATION = FEWER ROOF PROBLEMS

The combination of attic insulation and a balanced ventilation system helps keep excessive household moisture and heat out. As a result, the proper conditions and temperature are better maintained in the attic and on the roof deck throughout the year.

Without proper ventilation and insulation, heat and moisture that is trapped in the attic can potentially cause significant damage to your roof and home, such as:

Ice dams that prevent water runoff

Premature failure of roofing materials

Wet wood—sagging roof deck

Metal rust (nail heads)

Mold, spores, fungi and mildew

Interior damage

HOW DOES ATTIC VENTILATION WORK?

Attic ventilation is all about removing excess moisture and hot, stagnant air while keeping conditioned air inside the house and out of the attic. Proper ventilation is a critical component of a high-performance roofing system and helps to keep the air inside your home at a comfortable temperature. A properly ventilated attic enables natural, constant air flow, and helps to manage attic temperature and moisture.

In cold temperatures, properly ventilated attics help mitigate ice dams and minimize frost buildup in the attic, while in hot temperatures, they minimize temperatures and excessive moisture.

The ABCs of Ventilation

There are three key, universal principles of proper ventilation, which are commonly referred to as the ABCs of ventilation in the building industry:

A = Ample Amount

B = Balanced

C = Control Air Flow

A = Ample Amount

The Owens Corning vent calculator can provide a general guide on the amount of roof ventilation your home needs.

The International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC) require a minimum ventilation ratio of 1:150 (1 square foot of vent area for each 150 square feet of attic/roof area). If certain requirements are met, such as balanced ventilation, the ratio can be reduced to 1:300. Check local codes for specific requirements. Owens Corning recommends a 1:150 ratio combined with balanced intake and exhaust ventilation for optimum results.

While having an ample amount of vent area is critical, where the vent area is located on the roof is just as important.

The system needs to be balanced.

B = Balanced

Proper ventilation needs a balance of intake and exhaust vents (50% intake, 50% exhaust). Exhaust vents (typically ridge vents or off-ridge vents near the top of your roof) are pulling air out of the attic, which creates negative pressure in the attic without intake vents to make up for the air that is escaping.

Negative pressure sucks – literally.

Intake vents should be installed in soffits or lower on the roof slope near the eaves. If you don’t have at least an equal amount of intake ventilation to balance the exhaust ventilation, then the negative pressure in the attic can suck air from the inside of your home. This means the air you paid to heat or cool inside your home is being pulled into the attic through the ceilings, cracks in the walls, lighting fixtures and/or joints in the framing – making your home uncomfortable, while also wasting energy and money.

Balanced flow helps to keep conditioned air inside the house and out of the attic. Read more about proper attic ventilation.

C = Control Air Flow

Properly air sealing and insulating an attic space can help prevent conditioned air from escaping into the attic, creating a more comfortable home. Insulation saves money on heating and cooling bills and helps to keep the attic temperature where it should be. In the winter, a thick layer of insulation helps keep the heat in the house and out of the attic and helps your house stay cool in the summer.

In addition to insulation, you need to seal air leaks.

CONTROL AIR FLOW: HOW INSULATION WORKS

Heat flows from warmer to colder areas until the temperature in both places is the same. In the winter, heat travels from indoor heated spaces to adjacent unheated spaces, such as your attic, garage, basement and even the outdoors.

Insulation works by providing an effective resistance to the flow of heat to other areas. In other words, insulation helps keep your interior, heated rooms warm and toasty while preventing heat from flowing to cooler, unheated spaces.

This application works in reverse in the summer months, with insulation helping to control airflow and contain your cooled air.

What is R-Value?

Insulation resistance to conductive heat flow is expressed as an R-value, which is thermal resistance. In general, the higher the R-value, the greater the effect the insulation has at providing resistance to heat.

BENEFITS OF ATTIC INSULATION

Properly installed attic insulation is good for your roof, your budget, and the planet. Insulating your attic is one of the most effective things you can do to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Sealing Attic Air Leaks Helps Save Energy and Money

Did you know that up to 40% of the air leakage in your home can be through the attic floor?

If your heating and cooling costs are going through the roof (no pun intended), then air sealing the attic floor and adding attic insulation can help cut heating and cooling bills by up to 15%.*

Adding more insulation product to a drafty attic space won’t do much good if you don’t identify and seal up air leaks first.

The air inside our homes typically contains a lot of moisture. Excessive moisture in the attic causes trouble. Seal around cracks and joints to prevent air from escaping into the attic. Dark spots on the roof deck and water stains in the rafters can point to possible openings where air might be leaking into the attic.

If you find signs of water leaking in, get a professional roofing contractor to check the integrity of your roofing system before continuing.

Air leaks typically happen around dropped soffits, through recessed lighting, electrical boxes, and at intersections of floors/ceilings and walls. Owens Corning® ProPink ComfortSeal™ Gun Foam can help homeowners air seal all of these concerns.

If you live in a cold climate area or a region with harsh winters, then you know that heating your house in the winter can get expensive quickly. While some people might try lowering the thermostat a degree or two and throwing on an extra sweater to save money and ward off winter’s chill, this isn’t always an effective strategy.

If your attic space is unfinished, air sealing then adding insulation, such as Owens Corning® Fiberglas™, is one of the most effective things you can do to help keep heating costs down by keeping the heat where it belongs — in the living spaces inside your house.

If you live in a warm climate area or a region with hot summers, then you know the challenges of keeping your home at a comfortable temperature without your air conditioning costs going through the roof. When it comes to outdoor heat, attic insulation helps to stabilize indoor temperatures and keep air-conditioning costs more reasonable.

If you live in an area with COOL roofing standards (such as California) or other energy standards, then you should follow state and local R-value guidelines and install roofing materials, such as COOL roofing shingles, that meet the requirements and comply with all codes and standards in your area.

🔨Let us find the solution that works best for you and your roofing needs.

Source: owenscorning

Portton Construction Inc: We are a General Contractor in Houston and surrounding areas. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, we provide general contractor needs for all domestic markets. In need of a home makeover? Look no further! We provide services in all areas of home remodeling.

Roofing in Houston

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