The summer season has a distinct way of turning the outdoors into a wonderful getaway place. However, the case is not always the same for the indoors—particularly the attic. An unventilated attic, during long summer days, can reach up to 150 degrees. That is 50 degrees higher than it should be. An extremely hot attic forces your air conditioner to work twice as hard as before, spiking up your energy bills. It can also bake your asphalt shingles and cause your residential roofing to fail in the process.
If you want to avoid these costly problems, consider following these steps for bringing attic temperature down to a healthy level.
Most attic fans and power attic ventilators provide sufficient air flow and ventilation in your attic. They suck up the warm, stale air from the attic and release it to the outdoors so the area can adequately function and breathe. They also bring in cool air from the outside to reduce the load on your AC. Some units come with thermostats which allow you to preset the temperature at 100 to 110 degrees.
As an alternative to electric ventilators, you can install passive roofing vents such as gable, soffit and ridge vents. These are examples of openings in the roof where stifling hot air inside the attic can escape. Place attic ventilation near the roof’s peak for the best results.
Keep in mind that for every 300 square feet of floor space, there should be one square foot of venting area. This is to keep fresh air circulating at optimal temperatures. Lastly, choose to install attic insulation with an R-value of 19 to make sure that your attic will stay cool all year round.
Hot, humid summer days are not an excuse to leave your attic unattended. Turn to Howard Roofing & Home Improvements for energy-efficient and cost-effective home solutions. We also offer a wide range of professional commercial roofing services. Call us at (636) 296-1057 or fill out our contact form to start a conversation with one of our specialists. We serve clients in and around St. Louis, MO.