What have you got in your attic space right now? If it’s a bedroom or converted and well-maintained storage space, then you’re probably covered.
However, if it’s what many people have – just an attic – or if you’ve noticed hotter or colder temperatures in this area of your home, you might need to look into improving the ventilation of your roof. Here’s why I believe it’s essential that this part of your home is always properly ventilated.
It reduces the chance of moisture build-up
By moderating the temperature in your attic or roof space, you ensure that this unused or less frequently-visited part of your home stays dry.
During winter, the outer walls and roof of your home are naturally very cold, while the inside of your home is frequently warmed up with your central heating. As Gateshead Council detail in this useful article, getting the right balance between warmth and ventilation in your home is essential.
You’ve heard of “rising damp”, right? Like in a hot air balloon, condensation rises inside your home and often becomes trapped in high spaces – like the attic – where it gathers and can turn into something more dangerous.
Even people with the cleanest of homes could see little build-ups of black mould in the corners of their kitchens and bathrooms, but will quickly make the home spotless again with a little TLC. However, the less-visited attic is often overlooked in the search for mould, so many homeowners don’t realise that mould has accumulated there until it’s too late.
It prolongs the lifespan of your roof
Condensation is a destructive force when left on its own. If you do discover significant problems with your roof ventilation, then call a roofing professional immediately and have the situation assessed.
The North East England company Findley Roofing & Building has a selection of affordable ventilation and roofing solutions that will protect your home now and in the winters to come. A range of Newcastle roofing finance packages can also help to bring those solutions into your financial reach.
As more and more homes are now efficiently insulated, with modern doors and windows fitted to both new and older buildings, adequate ventilation is often overlooked. For instance, an older home, now fitted with modern, insulating doors and windows, might not have the ventilation in the roof above them to handle the extra heat that rises through the building.
This means that condensation will not only build up and potentially turn into mould; it could also gather around the wooden beams and fittings in your roof and so make them slowly rot away.
Weakening the structural integrity of the roof and materials above, this can lead to a long list of problems for the unwary homeowner to resolve. Therefore, it’s worth checking your attic regularly for moisture, even during summer.
While moisture is less likely to build up during warmer months, your attic may still have a “musty” scent which indicates a roof in need of better ventilation. If so, don’t leave it to chance that the problem will get better on its own; call a roofing professional to take a look instead.
