Let’s Disprove 5 Common Attic Ventilation Myths

Is your attic suffering because of inadequate ventilation? With so much misinformation and myths circulating about attic ventilation, it’s no wonder why your attic feels like a sauna during the summer. Now’s the time to learn the truth about how to properly ventilate your attic.

Five Common Ventilation Myths

Disproving these common ventilation myths is simple once you know the truth behind them:

• More ventilation is better. The more holes you poke in your roof, the better, right? Wrong. Randomly placing vents in your roof is not going to do the trick. What it will do is put your home at risk for extensive roof damage during a tropical storm or hurricane.
• Ventilation will help lower your energy bills during the summer. Proper attic ventilation can help cool your home during the summer, but not to the extent you might think. Shingle color, sun exposure and insulation levels in your attic may have more impact on these factors than ventilation.
• Ventilating your attic will drive up your heating costs. If the heat in your home is getting into your attic during the winter, it’s not your attic ventilation’s fault. You may have a problem with the insulation level between your attic and your living space.
• Ventilation that works in Seattle will work in Orlando. The configuration of your home, your geographical location and the type of roof you have all play a big role in how you should ventilate your attic.
• All vents are alike. Many people think that just having a vent in the attic is enough when it really isn’t. Gable vents, for example, only ventilate a small percentage of your attic space. You need the right combination of vents to give your attic the right airflow.

These common attic ventilation myths can be costing you money and doing damage to your home right now. For more information on attic ventilation, or any other home comfort issue, contact Rinaldi’s Air Conditioning Service in Orlando today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about ventilation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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