Do I Need Special Ventilation for Metal Roofs

The simple answer to this question is “no”. However, there are several reasons to ensure that any home has with proper ventilation.

Proper ventilation is not only energy efficient but cost saving as well. By being able to properly vent out hot air in summer months, you are reducing the amount of energy your home needs to produce in order to cool it down. This in turn translates to savings on your cooling related costs. Often, air in the home contains a great deal of moisture. If not properly ventilated, this moisture can condense on the inside of the home, providing an unhealthy environment for mold and mildew to flourish. Lastly, ventilation can be useful in the winter months for preventing ice dams in your gutters and overhangs. Once warm air reaches the roof, it causes some of the snow to melt which drains into the gutters and overhangs where it refreezes. By having this excess ice, water cannot properly drain off of your roof, often leading to excess water and moisture seeping into your home.

Metal roofs are a wonderful alternative which are highly energy efficient, cost saving, and properly vent the air to prevent moisture and ice dams from forming. With metal roofs, the type of ventilation used is static ventilation which relies on natural airflow instead of electric fans. This occurs when hot air is vented at the upper region of the roof and cool, fresh air is taken in on the sides of the roof, often through eaves.  An efficient ventilation system can prevent moisture from entering,  while keeping your home cooler in the hot summer months, and warmer in the cold winter months.

One particular type of static ventilation that has proven to be quite popular for metal roofs is the ridge ventilation system. Vents are installed all along the entire ridgeline of the roof. This allows hot air to be continually released from the upper portion of your home. Installation is easy and the vents blend in seamlessly with the roof.