Why Proper Insulation and Ventilation Are Crucial for Your Roof in Grand Rapids Michigan

Every homeowner should know how important a roof is to protecting your home. Roofs protect your home from the elements, helps regulate temperature, and prevent moisture from wreaking havoc on your home. But for your roof in Grand Rapids Michigan to properly do its job, it is important to make sure that it has everything it needs. Two of the most crucial factors for your roof is the insulation and ventilation. We’ll take a closer look at these two roofing components and give you some tips on whether you should look to replace or upgrade your current system.

Why Proper Insulation and Ventilation Are Crucial for Your Roof in Grand Rapids Michigan

When most people think about the roof on their homes they tend to think mainly about the roofing shingles that are installed. While the roofing shingles are certainly a huge component of the roof there are many other components that are just as important. And if any of these components fail it will likely end up in a roof leak, increased energy usage in the home, or even mold growth in the home. Two components that you’ll need to consider and have checked when getting a roof inspection on the home is the roof ventilation and also the insulation in the attic and roofing system. Here’s why these two components are so important and more about what their function is:

Regulating Temperature

Insulation is placed in your attic to help create a barrier that creates greater separation between the interior and exterior temperatures of your home. Ventilation is used to help keep air flowing through your attic. This is crucial because roofs, especially dark colored roofs, will absorb a lot of heat from the sun’s rays.

When this heat builds up, it can end up drifting down into your home and making it much hotter for those inside. Heat building up can also make it easier for moisture to thrive and cause mold to grow and spread. Insulation will help prevent the hot air from drifting downwards, and the ventilation will keep air moving, preventing too much heat from building up.

Preventing Unnecessary Damage

If you have a leak in your roof, you can expect moisture to get in, no matter how small the opening. But when you don’t have proper ventilation or insulation, the simple leak can quickly become much, much worse. This is because any moisture getting into your roof will have a much harder time drying without ventilation. When the moisture cannot dry, it can collect and cause warping to the area.

With increased temperatures in your roof, you can expect the moisture to not only stay, but turn into mold and warping of wood beams. That can cause major structural damage that can weaken supports, as well as mold growing and spreading throughout your home. This means hundreds or thousands of dollars in extra repairs that would not have happened so quickly with proper ventilation and insulation.

Exterior damage can also worsen without proper insulation and ventilation. The heat collecting in your attic can cause snow on your roof to melt during winter. If the temperatures outside are cold enough, you can expect that melted snow to freeze and form ice dams on your roof. Ice dams can damage your roof coverings and make it easier for leaks to form.

Saves Money

With proper insulation and ventilation, you greatly decrease your chances of damages, making it possible to save money in the long term on repairs. But you can also expect to save money on your monthly heating and cooling bills when you have the right amount of insulation and ventilation. When there is a proper barrier in your attic, you don’t have to worry about the heat in your attic affecting your home’s temperature. You also don’t have to worry about heat drifting upwards and into your attic where it can be lost. With proper ventilation, you can also keep air moving, making it harder for heat to build up, or too much air to get in and remove too much heat.

Contact Grand Rapids Home Pros

When you have concerns about any of the roofing components on your home be sure to contact Grand Rapids Home Pros. We can inspect your roofing system including the ventilation and insulation to help you determine if any action needs to be taken. We also provide free quotes for roofing projects in Grand Rapids Michigan.