House ventilation is important. Much like breathing is essential to humans, ventilating the home is essential to keep the air inside it clean and distributed throughout the space. Proper house ventilation can extend the lifespan of your home, reduce energy costs, and keep temperatures at a manageable level.
Benefits of a well-ventilated home
There are many advantages to proper house ventilation, including the following:
It helps prevent extreme temperatures
We all know that warm air rises. In the Philippines, where our temperatures can go as high as the 40s and 50s, keeping warm air indoors can feel stifling, uncomfortable, and even dangerous. This is where the roof comes in to protect you. A properly installed, well-ventilated roof can allow heat to escape and bring cool air in.
It removes moisture and condensation
As air is properly distributed all over the home, ventilation helps prevent moisture and condensation from forming. If moisture from around the house (e.g., from bathing, cooking, or laundry) stays on your surfaces, it can lead to mold and rot, which not only smell bad but can be dangerous to your health. A well-ventilated roof helps keep your insulation dry and stops condensation from damaging your home.
It helps reduce indoor air pollution
According to the United States National Library of Medicine, ventilation helps provide healthy air for breathing by diluting the pollutants inside the space and removing the pollutants from it. If your home is poorly ventilated, chances are the pollutants in the air will stay inside your house and can make you and your family sick.
It increases energy efficiency
As ventilation helps keep temperatures down, you have less need to turn on your aircon, thus minimizing your electricity expenses. When you combine this with a “cool roof” or a roof equipped with a solar reflecting finish, you can ensure that your family will stay comfortable without the extra cost.
It increases the lifespan of your house
A poorly ventilated home can damage your property very quickly. Without home ventilation, you’re allowing condensation, rot, mold, and extreme heat to wreak havoc around your safe space. This has a massively damaging impact on the structural integrity of your home, shortening its lifespan even more.
How roof ventilation works
Roof ventilation works naturally by employing the principle of the Stack Effect. Hot air, which is lighter, naturally flows up towards your ceiling. As the hot air exits through your roof, it creates a vacuum effect by drawing cool air inside through a lower opening.
With the help of the right tools, you can allow air to travel easily through your home and keep your indoor temperature at a manageable level. The ridge vent of your roof, which runs along the peak, allows hot air to escape from your house.
Meanwhile, soffit vents installed in the roof’s eaves let the cooler air enter your house. Together, these two vents create a constant cycle of air circulation that keeps your home cool on a hot day.
Tools to help your house breathe
Metalink, the country’s leading roof and solutions provider, offers a variety of roof materials that can help ventilate your home. These include METASPAN spandrels, bended accessories, and cool finishes.
Spandrels
Also called a soffit, spandrels are placed under roof eaves to help air enter and exit the roof as well as prevent the collection of moisture. While it also adds a nice aesthetic touch under the roof eaves – it makes your roof look complete — spandrels help protect the underside of your roof and roof deck from the elements. They can also help keep insects or small animals from nesting in this area, keeping it protected from damage.
Metalink offers different types of METASPAN spandrel that can cater to all your needs, most of which come in pre-painted zinc-coated steel that will resist rust for a long time:
METASPAN Stone Coated Spandrel
Offers the major advantages of Metalink’s stone-coated roofs. It features the premium look and sophistication of our stone-coated roofs capable of withstanding extreme stress and harsh environmental situations.
METASPAN Perforated Spandrels
Durable substitutes for linear wood ceilings and sidings. They feature an innovative design for enhanced ventilation and sound dispersion suitable for indoor and outdoor ceilings for new construction buildings.
METASPAN Rib Spandrels
Also recommended for linear ceilings. It features a rib-type design that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
METASPAN Minicorr Spandrels
These corrugated spandrels are inspired by Metalink’s corrugated roof design.
METASPAN Classic Spandrels
A solid substitute for linear wood ceilings and wood sidings. They are quick and easy to install, practical, and hard-wearing.
Bended accessories
Metalink offers bended accessories that help protect the roof against the harsh elements such as rain, wind, sunlight, and even debris. Metalink offers ridge rolls and many other bended accessories that work on their different roofing profiles, such as EcoHiRIb, ECORIB, and Corrugated/MetaCorr.
Cool Chemistry
Metalink’s Cool Chemistry finish has higher thermal reflectance than other solid dark-colored paints. This can protect buildings from the harsh impact of the sun and provides superior thermal insulation when combined with expanded polystyrene. Using Cool Chemistry can help your home absorb less heat, so you save on maintenance and cooling costs. This finish is also perfect for roofs or wall cladding systems with expanded polystyrene (EPS).
Proper house ventilation is essential to keep the home, and the people who live in it, strong and healthy. By using the right materials, you can extend the lifespan of your house, reduce energy costs, and keep temperatures at a manageable level. Check out the options available to you so you can get started on letting your home breathe.
