Reasons Your Attic Can Get So Hot and Sweltering

Posted on Friday, August 26th, 2022 | 1,829 views

If you’ve gone up to your attic lately and felt that it was just a bit too hot, there could be a problem you’re not aware of. You may be surprised that your attic gets hotter than other rooms in the house too. This is a problem happens quite frequently, and can be especially noticed during the summer months.

Let’s look at some of the reasons our attic could be overheating but readers note that the ultimate solution to an over-heating attic is through the help of a certified roofing company.

Do Some Temperature Checks

Attics should be at least 60°C (140°F) in the winter and approximately 20 degrees above the outdoor temperature in the summer. Read the following a few reasons that can cause the temperature of your roof to fluctuate and what you can do to fix the issue before calling a local roofer. 

Warm weather alone is one of the main reasons attics get so hot. Heat rises and when you have an attic that doesn’t have proper ventilation (e.g. vents and fans), it can eventually cause problems to your home’s structure and roofing. If you’re experiencing a lot of warm weather in your area, take a moment to check on your attic’s temperature.

Poor attic ventilation

Attics can get overheated if the vents are not open or clogged with some type of debris. The first thing to do is check them and make sure nothing is hindering them or that they’re not broken or missing either.

For good measure check the vent screens and make sure they’re not broken or damaged in any way. If they are should also get new screening.

If you have an older home and think the venting could be causing the overheating, you can talk to a roofer who will able to tell you if there are not enough vents or if they’re in the wrong spot of the attic. Vents work best when placed at the apex of the roof, and there should be a soffit vent too.

Vents are placed at the center of the roof to help make the air flow throughout the attic. Be aware because the design of many older homes did not allow for optimal ventilation due to poor planning.

If the problem is with your vents, your roofer will plan on adding properly sized opening which will provide more airflow throughout the attic.

Poor insulation

That attic insulation is important to regulating the attic’s temperature and the insulation levels could be the culprit. In the winter it keeps hot air in and in the summer it’s meant to circulate cooler air.

If it gets damaged to any degree (by weather, roof leaks, and other factors) it could stop performing optimally and get overheated in the summer. Simply put, if your attic is hot, the insulation may not be doing its job properly.

Poor insulation can cause attic overheating and this is primarily caused by a lack of air flow to circulate cool air from the rest of your home into your attic. When this happens, warm air that collects in the attic will not be able to escape easily and will create an environment where mold and mildew thrive.

Roof damage

Some types of roof damage can damage your insulation which could lead to overheating too. This is usually the number one cause of overheating attics. A leaky roof can also lead to water damage inside your home and create mold that increases the chance of respiratory problems for you and your family.

Wildlife problems

If wildlife has broken into your attic, they could severely ruin your insulation and cause numerous other problems with your attic. Overheating being one of them, and freezing winters is another.

They’re may be animal nesting or debris on top of insulation or the insulation could be completely ruined by animals trails and using it for nesting. When animals live in your attic it substantially reduces the R-value of your insulation and this is when it needs to be replaced.

Conclusion

The easiest way to determine what’s causing overheating in your attic is to call professional roofers. There’s no reason to try and do it alone unless you’re a very experienced handy-person.

In the end, if there is indeed a problem and it’s fixed, you’ll better enjoy living in your home and your energy bills will be properly regulated again—in the summer and the winter.