Why Is It So Hot In My Attic

If hot air is allowed to sit in your attic it could overheat the shingles on your roof and cause damage.

Why is it so hot in my attic.

Within the attic insulation is a must. The attic is a huge determinant in keeping your entire home cool so the first place to start cooling your home should be the attic. In addition hot air in your attic could increase moisture levels which could result in wood rot and mold growth. However for best results you must have sufficient vents to allow for the free airflow.

Alternatively install passive vents such as gable soffit and ridge vents which are openings in the roof that allow hot air to escape. High temperatures inside your attic shorten the life span of shingles. Hotspots can be a pesky and frustrating part of the summer experience. You would think that an attic fan sometimes called a powered attic ventilator or pav would keep the attic space cooler by exhausting hot air.

It is placed at the highest point of your roof so that the hot air rises to get out. Another reason your attic is so hot is because of insulation. I have a shop in my attic for some of my hobbies and it get s very hot in the summer. They have thermostats that turn the fan on at a recommended preset temperature of 100 110 degrees.

I live in northern virginia hot humid climate in the summer and use heat pumps to heat and cool my house throughout the year. Not the overabundance but the lack of insulation in the attic. My idea is to vent the build up of hot air that has risen to the ceiling in the hotspot rooms into the attic so that air from cooler parts of the house can move in. Low cfm similar to a bathroom vent 300cfm and only in the hot spots basically by adding an inline ducting fan to the return ducts for the hotspot rooms.

A hot attic is bad for several reasons. A pav does indeed blow hot air out of the attic but unfortunately it also sucks cool air from your living space into the attic through leaks in walls and ceilings. In order to cool the upstairs in summer it s important to know why these hot spots are present. Excessive heat deteriorates items you store in the attic and can cause moisture.

Having a properly vented attic is the best way to keep attic cool because it allows the hot air to escape during the summer. I have large attic with ridge vents and screened vents at either end of the attic to maintain air flow.