I recently replaced my roof in Florida, adding soffit and ridge vents but disabled the powered attic fans due to their age and fire risk. Now I'm monitoring my attic temperature, and it's peaking at 134 degrees during the day with an outside temperature of 93 degrees. I've heard that temperatures over 130 could damage roofing materials. Should I be worried about this, and what can I do for better ventilation without using powered or solar fans? I also have a silver GAF warranty and want to make sure everything's in order.
3 Answers
Honestly, 140 degrees is just par for the course in some areas, especially with the sun beating down. The shingles will soak up heat and transfer it to your attic, but it shouldn’t deteriorate them drastically—that’s often overstated. As long as you have proper intake and exhaust sizing, you're likely okay. A roofer might suggest options like ridge vents or even low-profile vents if you want to explore alternatives.
Just out of curiosity, do you have any gas appliances in your attic? That might affect ventilation and temperature as well.
It seems like disabling the fans might not have been the best call since they were there to help cool down the attic. But since you’re now looking for other solutions, just remember that 140 degrees isn’t entirely abnormal for an attic in hot climates. If you want to take action, consider adding a radiant barrier to the underside of your roof to help with heat retention. That's an effective solution without needing to reinstall fans.