Attic Ventilation: Now That You've Insulated, Ensure Optimum Airflow

Although the Coastal Bend enjoys short, mild winters, it can get pretty cold, especially this past winter. Cold snaps can mean you keep all the windows and doors closed as much as possible, just as you do when the air conditioner is running, so proper ventilation of your living space is important. The same is true of your loft or attic space, particularly if it’s well-insulated.

Benefits on the Bend

You cool your home far more than you heat it, but many homeowners have “unfinished” attics (meaning they’re not part of the living space; you only access them occasionally, maybe to do a little work up there, or to store stuff). Thus, the air conditioner doesn’t intentionally cool loft or attic voids.

Throughout the cooling season, when the air in an unventilated attic can easily reach 130 degrees, your insulation is intended to prevent heat transfer from the attic down into the living space. This saves you money on your bills. Further, that superheated air can do damage to the structure of the roof itself, particularly the shingles. Effective attic ventilation prevents this.

Good Advice

There are two important considerations to be aware of after insulating your attic:

• Installing insulation right up to the eaves can block soffit vents. They are vital in maintaining good ventilation, so double-check to ensure they’re unobstructed.
• Refrain from using powered exhaust fans. If there’s a way for the treated air in your living space to be drawn into the attic, and particularly if your soffit vents are blocked, powered fans will draw cooled air up from the house and blow it outside. This is bad news for your utility bills. Natural ventilation is much better.

Proper air circulation results in improved comfort and HVAC efficiency because your equipment needn’t strain to do its job. Further, the flow of fresh air helps to prevent stale indoor air. Getting it right, then, is doubly important.

To arrange a comprehensive check to ensure your attic ventilation is up to par, please contact us at CCAC, Inc. We serve homeowners in the Corpus Christi area.

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

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