Attic ventilation: problems, difficulties and solutions

The owners of private houses are well aware of the situation when it is very hot in the attic in summer and incredibly damp in winter. This means that the ventilation system either does not work correctly or does not work at all.
Why is it so important to organize high-quality attic ventilation, many consider this room to be auxiliary, suitable for storing things, but nothing more.
Despite the fact that most often the attic is not a living space, from the point of view of the technical features of the architecture of the building, it is one of the most important structures. Proper ventilation in it is the key to the strength of the whole house, one of the primary factors in creating a healthy microclimate in the rooms.

Types of attics: how does this affect ventilation?

Attics are of two types:
1. Warm. Used as residential or additional useful premises. The equipment of such a room carries a number of design difficulties: it is necessary to carry out ventilation over the entire roof area. There are two types of ventilation available:
a) laying the necessary layers between the rafters. In the case of converting a room into a warm attic, it is sometimes necessary to build them up with boards or counter-battens.
b) for roofs of non-standard shapes and sizes, diffusion membranes are used to establish the correct gas exchange in the room.
At the same time, regardless of the type of room and the shape of the roof, it is important to take into account the material of the coating, because it determines the decision to create a particular ventilation design.

2. Cold attics. They are the most popular and relatively simple in terms of organizing optimal ventilation. Here the choice is determined solely by the shape of the roof.
a) for ordinary gable roofs, it is enough to correctly position the ventilation vents, providing them with grilles, in order to prevent small birds, bats and household debris from entering the attic through them. At the same time, it is important to insulate the channels, and if a metal tile that collects condensate well is chosen as the roofing material, additional vapor barrier must also be made.
b) with a hip roof structure, ventilation is carried out using cornice overhangs: air enters through the channels in the roof lining, and exits through the space near the ridge, from above. The most interesting task here is the valleys. If they are available, it is necessary to provide point air aerators, and if the roof structure is flat, then it is required to install high nozzles and additional fans.

If the roof of the house is based on a wooden structure, then not only the safety of things, but also the strength of the roof itself depends on the quality of ventilation of the attic space. High humidity harms organic materials by destroying their structure. At the same time, owners of small houses often believe that in order to maintain a good atmosphere, it is enough to open windows and doors, letting air flows into the house in a natural way. However, such air exchange is inefficient, as it depends on weather conditions.
In addition, attic ventilation implies taking into account the requirements and SNiP – building codes and regulations governing the standards for the construction of residential premises and the organization of space in them.

Problems of an unventilated attic space

So, the attic is the space immediately under the roof. This room is most exposed to the adverse effects of seasonal climate changes. It would seem that there is nothing to worry about, because this is not a living room, and storage of things does not require special conditions. At the same time, in the summer, from constant exposure to sunlight, the roof overheats so much that sometimes there is nothing to breathe in the whole house.
In winter, ice forms, which is dangerous not only from the outside, when leaving, but also harmful to the structure of the building itself. This is an additional, often considerable, weight on the roof.
A situation also arises when dampness arises from a temperature difference, and with it an unpleasant odor, condensation, mold, and fungi appear. And even simple storage of things becomes difficult, not to mention equipping the attic for a library or a gym.
Can these problems be avoided? Yes, but it is necessary to establish proper ventilation of the attic space.

How to create not only effective, but also rational ventilation?

Indeed, in addition to the basic costs of electricity, not everyone can afford to pay for ventilation. This is especially true for summer residents who live in private houses seasonally, but have the same problems as cottage owners who watch their houses all year round.
In addition, not everyone understands physics, the operation of ventilation systems and can eliminate interference in its operation.

Fortunately, technological progress creates new economical and rational ideas that are replacing standard household solutions.

So, a collector powered by solar energy will be a good tool for creating the right atmosphere of home comfort. This technology came from Europe. It provides comfort with a minimum of effort and cost.
The solar collector is compact and does not require special skills for installation and maintenance.
He absolutely fireproof because it runs on the sun, not electricity. This is a very important factor, especially for country houses, where the load on the power grid is irregular from season to season, that is, where the risk of wiring damage is high. This is also true for non-electrified objects, where there is simply no light.
the solar collector is environmentally friendly: works on a renewable energy source and does not create harmful emissions at all.
And, of course, such a device allows you to significantly save on bills for electricity and gas, which is an important aspect of the formation of the family budget.

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