Proper home ventilation is essential to keeping your living spaces comfortable. One of the areas where ventilation will do the most good is in your attic. Ventilation removes excess moisture, keeps fresh air circulating into your home, and keeps your attic area from getting too hot. Consider the following guidelines as you take steps to improve the ventilation level in your attic.
- Use enough vents: Proper home ventilation in the attic requires sufficient vents to do the job; just because a few vents are in place doesn't mean the attic is correctly ventilated. Different types of vents work better than others. Ridge vents are usually the best type to use in an attic. It may also be necessary to add an attic fan to achieve the level of ventilation needed to keep your attic cool and dry.
- Don't overventilate: Too much ventilation is not a good thing. Each vent in your attic means an additional penetration in your roof where problems could occur from water leaks, wind damage or loss of conditioned air. A basic rule to follow is to have 1 square foot of ventilation for every 300 square feet of attic space. This ratio may need to be adjusted based on your home's characteristics, so ask your local trusted HVAC professional for help.
- Don't hesitate to use vents in cooler climates: Ohio winters can get very cold, and logically, it would seem that any ventilation holes in the roof would let warm air escape and drive up your heating bills. Some warm air may get away through the vents, but the minimal amount of heated air lost is an acceptable tradeoff to keep your attic dry and mold-free. Moisture accumulates much faster in homes that are sealed against winter weather, so proper home ventilation is even more important in winter.
Joe Behr Plumbing and Heating, Inc. has provided professional plumbing, heating and cooling services to customers in Lexington and mid-Ohio since our company was founded in 1965. Contact us today for more information on home ventilation and how proper ventilation will keep your home more comfortable and your indoor air cleaner.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Mid-Ohio area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about home ventilation and other HVAC topics, visit our website.
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