In this week’s edition of “why might this roof not work”, let’s diagnose another problem!
On the surface, this might look all nice. The attic has insulation and the roof deck looks decent. On the outside it probably looks just fine, through most of the year. But this winter…there could be a very different picture.
It may seem counter-intuitive — especially if you’ve seen Christmas Vacation and remember Clark’s lovely get-up while watching old home movies after he’s trapped in the attic by mistake — but you actually WANT air to come in to your attic through your soffit vents under the eaves, and circulate back out through your roof vents. Let’s explain.
Air circulation in the attic helps create a balanced level of moisture, keeping things dry and making sure your home remains water spot-free. Cool outside air is introduced to the attic through soffit vents, and escapes through the venting at the ridge (if you have Ridge Vent) or boxes placed around the roof. The air brought in is dry, and mingles with the warmer air already in there, so none of it is trapped in that space. This helps prevent condensation on the roof deck, which would then rot out the wood decking and drip back onto the insulation, causing water spots on the ceiling as well as potential for mold problems.
But that all starts with a soffit vent to bring in that cool outside air. And in this picture, there’s nary a soffit vent to be found.
This isn’t a terribly hard fix, though! By simply moving aside some insulation and adding a few vents under the eaves, something White Castle Roofing does routinely, this home can easily air out the attic, keeping it dry and un-moldy for years to come!