When it comes to home ventilation, myths abound. Since the inner workings of your home’s ventilation system are largely unseen, it’s easy to misunderstand how it works. Also, some truths about home ventilation are not intuitive, further compounding misunderstandings. To help clear up confusion, we’re going to debunk three common myths about home ventilation in northeast Ohio.

  1. Myth: Roof vents allow warm air to escape during cold weather.
    Truth: Everyone knows that heat rises, so most people assume that your attic air is warm and that you want to keep it in the house. The truth is that your attic’s air should be about the same temperature as the outside air. If you have adequate insulation, the air in your home that’s warmed by your furnace never reaches as high as your attic.
  • Myth: Roof vents are only for homes in warmer climates.
    Truth: Roof vents are designed not for keeping the temperature of your home warm or cool but for preventing moisture damage. While roof vents may help a little bit with cooling in the summer, other factors like shingle color, insulation and sun exposure are much more effective at controlling the temperature inside a home. In colder climates, moisture damage can be a real problem, and roof vents help to keep moisture damage under control to prevent wood rot.
  • Myth: More attic ventilation is always better.
    Truth: Attic ventilation should be appropriately matched to the size of your home. Just as furnaces are designed to heat a certain amount of square footage, attic ventilation systems must be designed to match your attic. In general, experts recommend a ratio of 1:300, or 1 square foot of attic ventilation for every 300 square feet of attic space. If you’re unsure about how much attic ventilation you need, we can send one of our experts to your home to assess your ventilation needs.

We hope we’ve cleared up any misconceptions you’ve had about home ventilation. For more expert information about home ventilation, contact us at Stack Heating & Cooling. We’ve been serving the Cleveland area since 1976.

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

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