Roof Repairs Needed When Your Attic Ventilation System Fails
Your roof probably has some sort of ventilation system. Passive systems are common, but you could have a turbine on your roof that's powered by the sun or wind. No matter what type of ventilation system your roof has, it's important to make sure ventilation continues to work properly throughout the system's lifetime. Here's a look at how a roof ventilation system works, why they might malfunction, signs the ventilation system isn't working, and roof repairs that may be needed due to poor ventilation.
Ways Roof Ventilation Works
The air inside your attic gets hot since the sun beats down on the roof all day. The heat could damage your roof if it wasn't for a ventilation system that pulls cooler outside air into your attic while pulling the hot air out. Heat always rises to the top of your attic, so hot air naturally floats up and out through the roof. As it does so, it pulls cooler air in through the bottom of your roof.
This type of air circulation happens naturally through ridge and soffit vents, but if that isn't enough ventilation, your roofer can install a turbine on the roof that spins to increase the air turnover in your attic.
Signs Your Ventilation System Isn't Working
Since the system is in your attic, you can't really see if it's working. Problems might develop if the soffit vents get clogged and the air can't get inside the attic. This could happen if insulation piles up over the vents. If you have a turbine vent on the roof, it might get stuck and stop spinning. That would decrease attic ventilation.
When ventilation decreases, the heat in your attic increases. This can even happen in the winter when there is snow on your roof. Signs to watch for include curling along the edges of roof shingles and excess moisture inside your attic or along the soffit that causes the soffit or fascia boards to rot. You may also notice it's very hot inside your attic.
Repairs That Could Be Needed
If you've had poor attic ventilation for quite a while, you may need roof repairs once you discover the problem. Part of the repairs involves fixing the ventilation problem and the other roof repairs may involve replacing shingles and rotted wood due to the moisture problems.
The roofer has to determine why your roof has damage and figure out why your roof isn't getting adequate ventilation. Then they can fix the problem by repairing soffit vents or working on the turbine vent. When the ventilation problem has been repaired, the roofer may need to replace curled shingles.
Curled shingles can be flattened sometimes, but replacing them may be better so the curled area doesn't get caught by wind and cause the shingle to lift from the roof. If poor ventilation caused a moisture problem, the roofer might need to replace soffit boards, fascia boards, or areas of the deck that were rotted.
Also, poor ventilation can cause ice dams in the winter. If your home had an ice dam problem, water may have been forced under the shingles, and your roof could have hidden water damage that needs to be found and repaired.
For more information on roof repair, contact a company like Amcon Roofing.