A poorly ventilated attic can lead to expensive roof repairs and utility costs if not dealt with quickly, but it’s not always an obvious problem for homeowners to recognize. The signs of poor ventilation can be found throughout your home.

How to Know Your Attic Needs Better Ventilation

1. Your HVAC System Is Overworked

If your HVAC unit frequently runs to keep your home comfortable during the summer heat, you will notice rising costs in your energy bills and also have more frequent maintenance visits for your heating and cooling system. This is because air conditioners must work overtime to accommodate a poorly ventilated attic. Without proper ventilation to prevent heat and moisture buildup in your attic, the excess humidity can make your home uncomfortably hot in the summer. Your HVAC system will run more frequently, putting a strain on the equipment, often resulting in repairs and decreasing its lifespan.

2. There Are Stains On the Ceiling or Walls

Inadequate ventilation in your attic can allow moisture to remain trapped inside your home, and mildew and mold will develop and become visible over time. Condensation inside your home is created through baths, showers, washing machines, cooking, and humidifiers.

Without a proper outlet to vent, moisture gathers in corners and on windows that aren’t sealed well. A common sign of poor ventilation is moisture stains on the ceiling or walls of your home interior, starting inside the attic. Moisture stains manifest as yellow, orange, or brown lines or circles. These stains often appear on the sheathing or framing in attics.

3. The Roof Experiences Moisture Damage

Poor attic ventilation can allow excess heat and moisture to form below your home’s roof deck, leading to dry rot, which is decay caused by a fungus that develops in damp conditions combined with a lack of ventilation. This moisture can also damage the adhesives for your roof’s shingles and underlayment. When moisture infiltrates shingle mats, the shingles can begin to rot, which causes them to warp or pieces to chip away. The underlayment can also sag, creating vulnerabilities that allow roof leaks to occur when it rains.

Ice dams, thick ridges of ice along a roof’s edge, also form when excess heat caused by poor attic ventilation melts the snow on the roof, which then refreezes in the gutters. As this ice melts, it can creep under the shingles and into the home.

If you believe your home in Rhinelander, WI, has poor attic ventilation, contact the experts at Lar-Son and Sons Inc. Since 1940, this roofing contractor has specialized in roof repairs, maintenance, and installations, and their team has the experience to identify ventilation and insulation problems that can impact a roof’s performance. Call (715) 362-2769 or visit their website to request a free estimate.