Out of sight, but vital: Attic ventilation essentials

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how attic ventilation affects the health of an entire household! 

As part of their work as a leader in the ventilation industry, Construction Solutions & Gibraltar Industries Building Accessories Division produces a podcast called Airing it Out with Air Vent. This series is an extension of their Attic Ventilation: Ask the Expert in-person seminars and shares attic ventilation best practices and tips. The goal of this is to highlight a space that is too often out of sight, out of mind. Attics are important to pay attention to for many reasons, including the fact that the air quality up there can directly impact the air in the main living space. To discuss this, host Paul Scelsi spoke with Tracy Pionek, a project manager at True North Roofing in Minnesota, for an episode of the podcast.  

The main way that the attic air quality can affect the living space is if there is mold or mildew growth. This is a scenario that occurs when there is excess water or moisture in the space and it’s something that can happen without a homeowner realizing. Paul explained, “The average family of four generates between two to four gallons of water vapor every day just by living in the house through activities including cooking, showering, laundry… breathing and perspiration account for over one gallon a day alone! This water vapor is attracted to a cooler, dryer place — that’s the attic in the winter months.”  

When this moisture makes its way to the attic, it must be properly vented out. If it is not, it lingers and creates mold, mildew and other issues. Tracy shared a story about her experience seeing this issue in home: “We typically see it in the wintertime because ice dams appear and get people to think about their roof. Then, when we come in to do the inspection, we make sure to ask about ice dams and then we conduct an attic inspection. Typically, rusty nails are what we notice first. In the attic you also have all types of insulation, so sometimes that can get wet...We also get calls first of leaky vents.” All of these are signs of improper attic ventilation and are scenarios where Tracy and her team recommend assessing, redesigning or building a ventilation system for the space so that the house and its inhabitants can be healthier. 

Listen to the full podcast or check out the entire series to learn more about residential attic ventilation tips and tricks!