Roofing Knowledge

Roofing companies know that there's more to installing roofing than just stapling shingles together. If you're having roofing installed, ask your contractor to inspect your attic for baffles.

A properly installed roof and attic insulation is vitally important. Without them, your roof could be susceptible to leaks every time it rains or snows. Additionally, you could lose a great deal of heat during the winter and cool air in the summer if the roof isn't properly insulated. Homeowners might be tempted to add insulation themselves, but many roofing companies dissuade them from trying to tackle this type of project themselves. This is because homeowners miss out on one very important step - the inclusion of baffles. If the term baffle leaves you feeling, well, baffled, this guides for you.

What Is A Baffle?

Just what is a baffle? A baffle is a small piece of cardboard or plastic that fits between the insulation and the sheathing and creates a small gap. This gap allows air to flow freely and keeps the insulation from covering the soffit vents. Without the ventilation provided by the baffles, air can become blocked in the attic. Baffles work much like windows -- when there's just one, not much changes. However, when you have multiple baffles you'll get a cross breeze which allows hot air to escape.

Why They're Important

An attic that's not properly ventilated can lead to several problems. First and most importantly, ventilation keeps the air toward the roof as close to the outside temperature as possible in the winter. This helps prevent ice damming, which occurs when the roof warms up and causes the ice to melt. Without a baffle, the water can become stuck behind a section of ice, causing a pool of stagnant water. This water has nowhere to go, which means that it will eventually seep through the shingles and cause damage to the home's interior.

Why Use A Roofing Contractor To Add Them?

If you are building a new home, it's extremely easy for the contractor to add in baffles. However, if you're having work done on an existing house, you'll likely want to have the roofing contractor install them as they're working on your roof. Your contractor should fully inspect the inside and outside of your home so they can provide you with an accurate cost estimate before work is done. The last thing you want is to have the company forget to include them in your estimate and include the cost toward the end of the job.

As you're interviewing roofing companies, ask them to check out your attic. A good roofing contractor will know how important proper ventilation is and that they need to make sure the baffles are correctly installed to complete the job properly. Roofing companies will know how many baffles are necessary and will know how to install them so there aren't gaps where insulation can creep and block the air.

Installing a roof is more involved than just stapling some shingles onto some plywood. Roofing companies are experienced and know everything they need to do to correctly protect a house from rain, wind, snow and other elements.

There are fly by night business practices in every business, however learn your stuff and don’t get taken. Check out all the local licenses needed for a contractor to be recognized, make sure there insured, visit their place of business and get to know them before shelling out money for a roof. You get what you pay for so don’t be turned towards a cheaper quote just for the price. Investigate all, you will be a happier person in the long run when you hire a reputable roofing company.