My Attic Gets Hot In The Summer

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.

My attic gets hot in the summer. These powerful exhaust fans actually pull the conditioned air out of the house and into the attic. Having a properly vented attic is the best way to keep attic cool because it allows the hot air to escape during the summer. Get creative with your roof. Dark roof shingles absorb sunlight and convert that energy into heat.

If your attic is hot and stuffy there are lots of ways you can cool it down. And it can cause your air conditioner to work harder than it needs to and send your energy bills soaring with the temperature. In addition hot air in your attic could increase moisture levels which could result in wood rot and mold growth. In most cases this causes more problems than it helps.

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. An unventilated attic can reach 150 degrees in the heat of summer 50 degrees higher than it should be. Another reason your attic is so hot is because of insulation. The consensus seems to be that if you have the maximum amount of insulation in your attic floor for your area lowering the temperature of the attic by 10 or even 20 degrees will have a minimal if any impact of actual heating and cooling costs.

It s only natural that your attic will heat up as a result. Hang pencil and paper next to the thermometer and record the outdoor and attic temperatures. Poor insulation is usually the culprit although if you enter the attic on sunny winter day your attic space can be warmed by the sun more than your furnace. Not the overabundance but the lack of insulation in the attic.

For most homes the biggest concern is the effect of attic temperature on living space comfort. If the ducts aren t insulated the ductwork will be at the same temperature as the attic warming your cool air supply during the summer and cooling your heated air in the winter. Unless your roofing system has insulation on the roofing deck and is designed without ventilation your furnace should not be heating your attic. Within the attic insulation is a must.

The summer heat can seem pretty unavoidable but it shouldn t be invading your home. If hot air is allowed to sit in your attic it could overheat the shingles on your roof and cause damage. An overheated attic can bake asphalt shingles on the roof and cause them to deteriorate. 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.

An attic in the afternoon in the summer can be 120 to 140 degrees and some even hotter.