When looking at solar attic fans, we constantly talk about the benefits of keeping your attic, crawl spaces, and garages from overheating in the summer. The circulation extends the life of your roofing materials as well as the life of anything stored inside your attic or garage. But what about winter?
Winter Attic Ventilation
Are there benefits to using a solar attic fan in the winter? The further north you get, the colder winter gets, so there might not be much hot air in your attic to get rid of. Does this mean you don’t need a fan in the winter?
No!
Proper attic ventilation is vital no matter what time of year it is. Most of the year have to worry about removing excess heat from your attic. However, that is not the only benefit your attic ventilation fan provides.
Vent Harmful Toxins
Attics store all kinds of things that put off potentially hazardous fumes. Some of them–paints, aerosols, cleaners–you might already know about. But even more innocuous items such as arts and crafts projects that contain some sort of glue, plastic products–including any sort of plastic storage bins–and rodent killer also contribute to a buildup of potentially harmful smells and toxins in your attic space. This is where your attic fan comes in. Proper ventilation doesn’t entirely eliminate the risk, but it does help mitigate the risk of storing these items in this confined space.
Prevent Buildup of Moisture
Moisture is another threat to the integrity of your home that your solar attic ventilation fan fights every day without you knowing. A lack of airflow in a confined space like an attic is a prime environment for moisture to build-up, bringing with it mold and mildew. Once the mold and mildew gain a foothold, they will eat away at your possessions that are stored in the attic as well as find their way into the walls of the house itself. Once inside, it will spread throughout the walls, eating away at the integrity of the structure and causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.
Moisture buildup in an uninsulated attic also leads to the possibility of ice if you live in a cold enough climate. Tiny ice crystals can do a surprising amount of damage in a short amount of time. That’s why it’s vitally important to properly ventilate and insulate your attic and garage spaces no matter what climate you live in.