It is well known that ventilation has an impact on the energy efficiency of your home. The benefits in Australia include removing hot air, moisture and condensation that typically occurs in damp and cold climates. Further, the Australian government incorporates roof ventilation in BASIX because its recognize the benefits of ventilation. The home owner should really be asking, is the ventilation in my home adequate? And what areas will impact it’s performance?
Consider these questions:
- What type of material is your roof?
- Does my roof have a gable vents or eve vents?
- Is your ceiling insulated?
- Does your roof have Sarking?
- How old is your home?
- Is there moisture in your roof?
- Does your roof smell of mould?
1: What Type of Material is Your Roof?
With so many combinations of roof materials in Australia, this can have a substantial impact on the airflow in your roof space. For example, a standard tile roof without any sarking will allow heat to escape and pass-through the gaps of the tiles. This keeps your roof cavity relatively cool. Metal rooves will have the ability to trap hot air as there are far less gaps.
2: Does my Roof Have a Gable Vent or Eve Vents?
While many roof spaces may not be ventilated with whirlybirds or solar roof ventilation, there are other passive forms of ventilation. These include as gable vents, static caps and eve vents that allow cross flow passive ventilation.
3: Is Your Ceiling Insulated?
Insulation provides a very good barrier between the hot air in your roof and the occupants. However, even the highest quality of insulation will allow some kind of heat transfer into the home. Especially after consecutive hot days. Further, the benefits of roof ventilation are not only noticed in the home. Roof ventilation will also keep the insulation dry and more effective in many years to come.
4: Does Your Roof Have Sarking?
If the foil sarking is directly under tiles, or foil blanket is directly under metal roofs, this will impact on resisting temperature transferring into your roof cavity. however it can also have the reverse affect and trap hot air in the roof cavity after consecutive days of heat.
5: How Old is Your Home?
Older homes typically follow older construction methods unless renovated. One of these construction methods allows extraction fans to vent bathroom steam into the roof cavity. As a result, adding roof ventilation to your home will help remove this steam so it’s not trapped in the roof cavity.
6: Is There Moisture in Your Roof?
Moisture can be trapped in the roof cavity when exhaust fans from bathrooms, ensuites kitchens etc. vent moisture directly into cavity. Condensation can also build up from the difference in the external air temperature and the internal air temperature of the building.
7: Does Your Roof Smell of Mould?
Mould is a typical problem in many roof cavities which can transfer through to the ceiling, by keeping the roof cavity well ventilated this issue may be avoided.
Your only next step is trying to figure which is the best roof ventilator for your home. Read more from our team today to find out how to select the correct roof ventilation system! Call us today to discuss the Solatube Solar Star roof ventilation system.