July 20, 2023 Keegan Reeve-Yates

Why Loft Vents Reduce Condensation?

Loft Vents Reduce Condensation: Ashbrook Roofing Supplies

Here at Ashbrook Roofing Supplies, we are all about solutions for homeowners. Today’s modern living spaces prioritise energy efficiency above all things. However, sometimes one solution can create another problem.

Loft Vents are an affordable solution to reduce condensation

Condensation in your house can be one of those problems partly contributed to by modern energy-efficient homes.

Condensation builds up during everyday living, people and pets breathe out water vapour, but only small amounts, Kettles, Washing Machines, damp washing drying, Tumble dryers, kettles, Cooking baths and showers all contribute to the daily output of water vapour in the everyday modern home.

Hot air, of course, rises, and all that water vapour in the air has to go somewhere. It goes up and can find its way up into your loft space. Modern lofts are comparatively cold compared to the rest of your house because they are often very well insulated.

So once the water vapour enters your loft space, which it does through wall cavities, gaps in the ceilings and loft hatches, it then settles on surfaces as condensation. Most of us live our lives unaware that this is even happening. Well, it might be happening in your house, right now. It’s certainly worth checking today!

We could talk about all the ways condensation could create problems for you but instead, we would rather just show you an affordable method that you can use to reduce the build-up of condensation in your loft.

We recommend that you buy loft vents that are small and lightweight, they are really easy to fit and they create a very quick and easy solution to your condensation worries. The type of vent that we recommend are called Felt Lap Vents. They can be fitted by you, without any expert help. A couple of popular types are Manthorpe and Hambleside Vents.

Manthorpe Felt Lap Vent. Perfect for Loft Ventilation.

Quick Guide to fitting Lap vents

Because these events are lightweight they won’t cause damage to a membrane, as long as you’re careful. Just turn it’s over, you can see the vents that sit directly between any overlaps and underlaps in the under sacking in your loft. The vents on the bottom will be unseen on install and poke through into the gap between your roof covering and under sarking

The springy little hooks fasten the vent in place.

The Lap vent is inserted between the overlapping under sarking. It really doesn’t matter whether your loft has a membrane or the older black bitumen felt. Once in place, the vent connects air from inside your roof space to underneath the roof tiles or slates. Now, when the wind blows and moves air directly over the face of the roof it will enter the bottom of the lap vents and flow into your loft space.

Many modern houses from the 1970s onwards were built were with no dedicated roof ventilation. It’s worth noting at this point that even if you don’t discover any serious problems with condensation or heat build-up..Lap vents are extra insurance to be sure your home stays free of such problems.

Take your time when fitting the vents, you may have to give them a wiggle until they slide into place. Once in place, the vents are almost unnoticeable and they don’t sit too proud of the under sarking either, this helps to avoid the risk of tears and unlike some other systems on the market, you won’t have to make any cuts to your undersarking or felt.

We recommend buying a pack of Felt Lap vents to ensure good even distribution of airflow through your loft. As long as you fit them evenly spaced you should reduce condensation in no time, as any moisture is evaporated into the inflowing air.

fit 5 vents on each elevation of your roofs at slightly staggered positions. this helps better air circulation. By staggering the positions of the vents the wind can’t simply blow in one, and out of the other. For further information, please click the link below.

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