Leave Attic Windows Open In Winter

We have a large full attic.

Leave attic windows open in winter.

It depends upon what other type of ventilation the attic has if any. Open your windows in winter for the good of your family s health. Instead it will merely cause a build up of moisture and heat that can cause other more troubling conditions in your home come spring. Recirculating old stale interior air can cause a host of symptoms.

During the summer and most of fall we keep 2 windows open for cross ventilation. The windows have screens. Shutting the vents in your attic during the winter isn t going to help you hang on to too much heat where you actually want it in the living areas of your home. Best ventilation is open soffit venting to a open vented ridge vent.

One last thought attic ventilation is not there to get rid of heat it is there to get rid of excess moisture accumulating from the home. I leave the windows wide open upstairs all day and only shut my girls bedroom window at night now as it s freezing. We leave ours open all the time but still alot of condensation on our window. It can do both.

Insulation at least r 38 or more is there for heating and. We do get bugs flies in the summer ladybugs in the fall. Ridge vent must me installed per the manufactures instructions. I ve also got a little dehumidifier on the window sil which works quite well.

6 windows in all. It gets stifling and stale up there if we don t. Leaving the windows open is a good idea as long as you are home. And the extra heat is not just a summer concern come winter hot attic air can melt snow on the roof during the day only to refreeze when temperatures drop overnight creating ice dams that lead.

It allows air movement and will naturally exhaust the hot attic air.