Planning on having a metal roof built onto your home? If the answer is yes, you need to think about metal roof ventilation as well. They bring so many benefits, such as long life spans, excellent fire resistance, and more. If you’re going to have one installed in your home though, you’ll need to think about ventilation. Here are the different types of ventilation you can use on your roof, and which ones will be right for you.
What Is Metal Roof Ventilation?
Firstly, you’ll need to understand what metal roof ventilation is, and why you need it. No matter what kind of roof you have, you’re going to need some kind of ventilation in there.
When warm air meets a colder surface, it creates condensation. You’ll have seen this before in many situations, and it can also happen in your home. The warm air in your home rises to the attic, and meets the cold surface of the roof. When that happens, you get condensation. If this is allowed to get bad enough, you’ll deal with all kinds of water related problems. These include mold and wood rot, as well as leaks.
To stop that happening, you need ventilation. Having good ventilation in your roof allows that warm air to escape the attic, rather than sticking around and causing condensation.
An added benefit of ventilation is that it will make it a lot easier to cool your home in the summer, as that hot air is escaping. As such, you’ll save on energy bills too.
Why Vent A Metal Roof
When it comes to metal roofs, they need venting just like any other roof would. When the summer sun beats down on them, they get hot and the heat and humidity can build up beneath them. When allowed to do that for long enough, you may see the roof rafters warp, and you’ll lose any energy efficiency benefits that you had with your metal roof.
How Metal Roof Ventilation Works
Metal roof ventilation isn’t as simple as you would think. There needs to be enough vents, and the right kind of vents, to remove that warm air.
Often, vents will be placed into the highest ridge of the roof. This is because warm air rises, and it will rise to the highest pint of the roof. Once it gets there, it should be able to move through the vents and out of the attic. Those vents will also allow cooler air to be drawn in lower down in the roof, to allow for the right amount of airflow.
To get the right amount of airflow, there needs to be both intake and exhaust components in your metal roof ventilation. When you have your new roof installed, your roofers should explain to you how many will be needed, and how they will be installed. The most common method for homes is to use soffit and gable vents.
Types Of Vents
As you’ve seen, you’ll need the right vents to keep that warm air out of your attic. There are two main types of vent that you need to be aware of:
Ridge vents:
As mentioned above, these vents sit on the very top ridge of the metal roof. If you’re looking at having a brand new roof installed, then you won’t have to worry about them taking away from the look of the roof. In fact, it’ll be hard to see them at all.
That’s because modern ridge vents are made to blend in with the style and color of the roof itself. The venting material is sat on top of the roof panels, and then covered with ridge cap flashing. This is what camouflages it against the rest of the roof.
When you have ridge vents installed, they won’t be the only part of your ventilation system. They will work with fans and other components, that work to remove that hot air.
Gable vents:
You will often see these vents placed at the peaks of gables, and they work either as intake or exhaust depending on the needs of the building. These are the vents that you’re more likely to see on homes and other residential buildings.
Soffit and Drip Edge Vents:
These are other intake vents that can be placed lower down in your roof, in order to draw in cooler air in your home. They pull that air in as the warmer air leaves above, creating a continuous cycle of air.
Metal Roof Ventilation And Insulation
When utilizing metal roof ventilation, you need to keep the insulation in mind. This is what keeps the warm air in in the colder months, but of course it could interfere with venting.
If you’re using a soffit to ridge vent system, then this can be avoided with the use of baffles. These are strips of aluminum, which are placed on the underside of the roof deck between the rafters. They keep insulation from blocking airflow, so you get the ventilation you need.
How To Know If You Need Better Insulation
If you already have a metal roof and don’t know if your venting is sufficient, then you’ll need to check the roof for yourself. Go up into your attic, and see if there’s hot air circulating in there. If it’s a lot hotter than the rest of your home, then that’s a sign that warm air can’t escape. With metal roof ventilation, it gives this warm air a place to escape, keeping your family cooler and safer.
You’ll want to look out for other signs too, such as water beading on the inside of the roof. This is condensation, and what happens when that warm air sticks around. If you’re seeing mold or rot, or even leaks in your home, then you’ll need to call the experts and get them to help you.
Now you know how metal roof ventilation works, and how having the right vents will make all the difference to your home. When having a new roof installed, make sure you ask about the venting, and ensure that they’re installed alongside the roof. It will help you avoid a whole host of problems when it comes to your roof.
