Ventilate Your Attic: Why Attic Ventilation Is Crucial for More Eco-Friendly Living
Living greener requires digging into the little details of reducing your carbon footprint. Small changes in how you run your home or the types of materials installed lead to decreased energy usage and tap into the power of sustainability. Eco-conscious homeowners can take advantage of proper attic ventilation to lessen their impact on the environment.
How Attic Ventilation Helps the Environment
The International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook report and other studies show buildings create about 39% of carbon emissions. If everyone did their part, the number could be significantly reduced. Even small changes can make a big impact. Attic ventilation may not be the first thing you consider when considering ways to help the environment. However, numerous benefits come from improving your attic space.
1. Reduces HVAC Strain
The harder your HVAC system works, the more energy you use. A properly ventilated attic reduces strain on the heating and cooling system.
Fans pull heat or cold from the space and stabilize temperatures, reducing the time your HVAC unit runs. In colder regions, proper ventilation in the winter can reduce the risk of ice dams, which can cause your roof to leak and create additional damage. This would require consuming more materials and lessening their life span.
In hot temperatures, reducing heat prevents high temps from making their way to the living area and reduces the strain on home systems. The result is lower energy bills and a more comfortable living environment.
Steady indoor temperatures extend the life of your home’s HVAC system, building materials, and other objects. You’ll also save money on energy bills and reduce your carbon footprint.
2. Avoids Mold Growth
Ensuring air keeps moving in your home can help you avoid issues with mold growth, which can result in expensive treatments and destroy your green efforts.
Mold treatment can involve chemicals that are unhealthy for local ecosystems. If drywall must be replaced, you’ll consume more building materials.
Mold can harm your health and your home. The Environmental Protection Agency says mold growth covering more than 10 square feet may require professional remediation. Keeping your attic space moisture-free is a great preventive measure.
3. Extends Roof Life
Using fans, vents, and open spaces to circulate air keeps your attic at a steady temperature. Keeping your boards and shingles from constantly expanding and contracting will extend the life of your roof.
Minimizing damage means you won’t need to replace materials as frequently. A few years of added life may give you the extra funds to invest in sustainable roofing materials or solar panels.
Some of the ventilation options available to homeowners include:
> Gable vents for cross-ventilation
> Turbine vents to move air
> Soffit vents for airflow
> Solar-powered vents to pull hot air out and utilize renewable energy sources
Vents are typically passive, relying on crosswind and natural movements, while fans expel the air. The two systems work together.
Making your home’s roof last longer saves money, so you can invest in other green building materials. However, proper ventilation can also protect an investment in solar panels. The consistent temperatures can keep them from overheating from both sides, which reduces their life span.
Helps Green Insulation Function Properly
Adding better attic ventilation is a crucial component of properly utilizing green building materials. If you use recycled denim, spray foam, cellulose, wool, or cork, you’ll want to ensure it stays dry to function properly.
Extend the life of attic insulation so you don’t have to use limited resources to replace it after a few years. Proper ventilation can improve the effectiveness of chosen materials that are less effective than ones that are more harmful to the environment.
How your attic moves air impacts other building materials and increases their energy efficiency.
What Can You Do to Improve Ventilation?
Fortunately, even poor ventilation is solvable. Here are some things you can do to regulate your attic temperatures and reduce moisture.
> Add soffit vents or swap individual ones for continuance. A continuous soffit is longer and wraps around the eaves, covering more space and improving air circulation.
> Use an attic fan to move hot air and distribute it more evenly. Ensure yours functions well and consider adding another to improve airflow.
> Check building regulations in your area. Local governments create rules about how to build and what elements must be included to pass inspections for a reason. Each climate is different, so knowing what works in your area is crucial.
> Seal air leaks. The key to proper ventilation is controlling what escapes, how, and when. Leaks will cause you to lose cool air you wish to keep.
> Stop energy leaks by adding eco-friendly insulation to your attic. Proper ventilation and appropriate R-value for your climate can work together to maintain consistent temperatures and reduce energy consumption.
Focus on Attic Ventilation During Mild Weather
It’s natural to realize you may have a ventilation problem during the hottest or coldest days of the year. However, the best time to address issues is when the temperatures are milder so you can work in the attic and test recent additions, such as new vents, to see how they work. While you can fix problem areas throughout the year, do-it-yourselfers will appreciate the comfort of working in the attic on a cool October or April day.