Cold Roofs and Roof Ventilation Are all about you Need to Know

All right, you just figured out you have zero ventilation in your roof. One way to tell that you have no ventilation is if you live in a snow belt and you had ice dams this year or any other year.

Another sign of no roof ventilation is the asphalt shingle roof you have just does not last. It curls and gets brittle and cracks within a few years of having it installed. These are sure signs that either your roof ventilation is not working or that maybe you have no ventilation at all.

What can you do about it?

There are options. One of the options is to attempt to create an air passage by adding a combination of sofit and ridge or gable end vents. The idea is to get some convection going. Sometimes we see that there is no opportunity to make an airway, so this option might not work.

Another option might be to remove all of the insulation in the roof and replace it with one of the new, more efficient spray in place foam insulations that do not require roof ventilation. Sometimes, if you have an older house with boards for roof sheathing instead of plywood, this task can be completed from the outside of the house with less interruption for the home owner. Damp roof is a platform for mould growth and so you need to have the service of mould removal as soon as possible.

Depending on the elevations on the roof, a cold roof could be the best answer. If you have dormers and roof to sidewall areas, a cold roof may not work depending on the elevations. A cold roof is basically a roof that is built elevated above the existing roof. Depending on the situation, one can add additional insulation and ventilation very easily, or just ventilation.


                           

If you're going to invest the resources to correct the ventilation in your home, why not consider the long term solution of a permanent metal roof? Call and set up an appointment for a roofing consultant to do a ventilation analysis on your roof.