DAYS AND DAYS OF EXCESSIVE HEAT AN OVERLOAD OF 36° PLUS, SOMETIMES IN EXCESS OF 40°C TAKES ITS TOLL ON OUR BODIES AND CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE BUILDING MATERIALS IN OUR HOMES
Especially the roof – the roofspace and the roofing materials, such as the roof covering ie:- the roof tiles whether they be concrete or terracotta tiles or corrugated colorbond roofing etc.
It’s our experience that the roof covering with the highest thermal mass (the ability to store, maintain and radiate large amounts of heat) are concrete tiles followed by terracotta tiles and corrugated colorbond metal roofing etc.
Then there is ceiling insulation, after a few days of excessive heat in the 30°s plus, whilst fiberglass insulation enjoys a very low thermal mass it works as a filter and only retards the heat to a certain extent.
Fibreglass batts are the most common used ceiling insulation batts in Australia. Fibreglass insulation is both porous and susceptible to wind washing, convection, condensation and/or humidity moisture add heat loss either way and you have thermal creep. Thermal creep due to excessive heat build-up in the height of summer can have an effect on all building materials in your roof – the structural timber, the roof covering, sarking, blanket insulation, ceiling insulation and the ceiling etc.
SO WHAT ARE WE TO DO ABOUT THE EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILD-UP BETWEEN THE ROOF COVERING AND CEILING INSULATION
With the thermal mass, the excessive heat radiating down into the roofspace and furthermore the fact that concrete roof tiles are very high conductors for thermal mass with terracotta roof tiles and corrugated metal roofing not far behind. As well as the fact that this thermal mass will be stored in the roof tiles and radiate into the roofspace for quite a while after the sun goes down and to the early hours of the morning in the ceiling space, this excessive heat radiates down into the living areas. You are absolutely not going to get any sleep without an effective roof ventilation system unless of course you want to run an airconditioner 24/7.
EFFECTIVE ROOF VENTILATION GIVES MORE VALUE TO THE HOME OWNER THAN KEEPING YOU COOL IN SUMMER AND YOUR ROOFSPACE DRY IN WINTER
Yes, whilst effective roof ventilation will keep you cool in summer and your roofspace dry from condensation and/or humidity moisture 24/7 365 days a year. It will also protect your building materials and save you big dollars for remedial works due to condensation damage and thermal creep.
For the best, most effective and cost efficient roof ventilation systems available in Australia look no further than Universal Tile Ventilators for tiled roofs and the Smoothline Ventilator System for corrugated colorbond roofs.