Propper Attic Ventilation With A Ridge Vent

If you see dampness or frost you need better roof ventilation and some attic vents.

Propper attic ventilation with a ridge vent.

Proper attic ventilation consists of a balance between air intake at your eaves soffits or fascias and air exhaust at or near your roof ridge. Soffit vents when paired with ridge vents provide complete ventilation for your whole roof surface. Gable vents may circulate air through only a small percentage of your attic. The majority of roofing experts agree that ridge vents are the most effective and cost effective roof vents available.

Federal housing authority recommends a minimum of at least 1 square foot of attic ventilation evenly split between intake and exhaust for every 300 square feet of attic floor space. A roofer will from the attic mark a spot near the ridge of the roof he may first use nails from the attic to mark preferred spots between two rafters. Without baffles blinders that prevent outside air from crossing over the vent a ridge vent may create almost no ventilation at all. The installation of a turbine vent is nearly identical to a static vent.

To install the rafter vents staple them directly to the roof decking. Installation of this type of attic ventilation involves leaving a gap in the sheathing along the ridge and covering it with a perforated vent. Combining an attic power vent fan with a ridge vent is usually not recommended because. Static vents often protrude from roofline thanks to.

Rafter vents come in 4 foot lengths and 14 1 2 and 22 1 2 inch widths for different rafter spacings. While this provides an outlet for air flow it does not provide an inlet to complete the convection cycle needed for proper ventilation. Prior to installing the ridge vent a 1 inch wide strip of roof decking is cut out along both sides of the ridgeline to allow for air movement through the vent. It could reverse the natural flow of hot air out the ridge vent.

See the benefits of attic ventilation a new roof is more than just shingles. Effective attic ventilation systems reduce damaging heat and moisture in your attic promote energy efficiency by helping to reduce the load on your air conditioner in the summer and also reduce the risk of ice dam formation on your roof. We see many older homes with no attic ventilation and some that have recently had ridge vents installed. Air flows in through the soffit vents and out through the roof vents.

Rafter vents ensure the soffit vents are clear and there is a channel for outside air to move into the attic at the soffits and out through the gable or ridge vent. Grab a flashlight and inspect your attic during the winter.