Roof Vents: Should You Cover Them in Winter?

Roof vents ensure air properly circulates throughout the attic, ventilating your home as it exits through the roof. Although there are many types of vents, all of them play a key role in keeping your home well ventilated and your roof healthy.

During winter, many homeowners assume that covering them up is a good idea, unaware that it may put the roof at risk. Your residential roofing contractor at Jack the Roofer explains why you shouldn’t cover roof vents in winter.

Trapped Warm Air

When you cover the roof vent during winter, you’re making the attic extra warmer. This may seem beneficial at first, but it puts your roof at great risk. Warm air naturally escapes up through your home and exits the roof vents, but this doesn’t happen when they’re blocked.

The trapped air heats up the roof, causing the accumulated snow on its outer surface to melt and refreeze on the edges near the gutters, eventually forming an ice dam. Not only do they clog the gutters, but the ice dam puts extra weight on the roof and even loosens the shingles. 

As your asphalt shingle installation experts, we always recommend you have an experienced team like us do preventive roof repair and maintenance on your roof before winter. We’ll make sure your roof is in good condition and your vents are free of any blockage that might impede their operation.

Moisture Risk

Covering the roof vents means you’re unwittingly trapping moisture within the attic space. This excess humidity might not seem harmless at first, but it creates a habitable environment for mold to grow and proliferate. Not only is mold troublesome to get rid of, it is also a health risk to those with allergies.

How to Keep Warm in Winter

Cold air entering the attic isn’t great, especially if you want your interior conditions to be a little more toasty. The solution, however, isn’t covering the roof vent but with insulation. An attic that’s properly insulated stays warm regardless of the cool air that often enters through the vent and keeps the roof in a stable temperature, preventing ice dams from forming.

Jack the Roofer is ready to assist you with all your roofing needs. Whether you need a new vent or concrete tile roofing install, we’ll make sure your roof stays in excellent condition in winter. Get in touch with us at (720) 722-2255 to learn more. We are a residential roofing contractor in Parker, CO.