With the comforts of modern living, most properties these days have some form of heating system and to ensure we do not waste our money by letting that heat out, we install draft excluders, double glazing, etc. to keep it all in. With no means of escape, the warm air rises upwards into the roof space. This space contains cold air as most lofts are well insulated, again to prevent heat loss from inside the house.
As the warm heat struggles through the insulation and hits the cold air in the roof, it creates condensation. Think of a window in the winter, when the warm air indoors hits the cold windowpane - condensation occurs creating water droplets which run down the window. The principle is the same in the roof space.
If the moisture is left unchecked, the loft will become damp and anything stored in it will become mouldy or worse, the root timbers will eventually rot and the roof could collapse.
So, how do we get rid of the condensation?? If you go back to the window example, to dry the windowpane we open the window and let air get to it. Again, the same applies to the roof space; you need to get air circulating through the loft area to dry out any moisture. This is done by using one of many ventilation options.
Depending on the shape, pitch and design of the roof and where the insulation material is placed, determines the amount of ventilation you require to effectively remove the moist air.
Other household items require ventilation too, toilet stacks, extractor hoods for cookers and extractor fans in bathrooms all need some way of getting air out of the house through the roof space.
Remember, every roof needs some form of ventilation
DON'T CONDENSATE...VENTILATE!
