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.

Grab a flashlight and inspect your attic during the winter. For the best results place roof ventilation near the roof s peak and soffit vents in the eaves. Installation of this type of attic ventilation involves leaving a gap in the sheathing along the ridge and covering it with a perforated vent. It could reverse the natural flow of hot air out the ridge vent.

A ridge vent is a ventilation strip that is placed along the ridgeline of the home. 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. To install the rafter vents staple them directly to the roof decking. Gable vents may circulate air through only a small percentage of your attic.

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. 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. Without baffles blinders that prevent outside air from crossing over the vent a ridge vent may create almost no ventilation at all. Combining an attic power vent fan with a ridge vent is usually not recommended because.

If air is drawn in through the ridge vent while it s raining it might pull rainwater in with it which could lead to leaking or mold in the attic. We see many older homes with no attic ventilation and some that have recently had ridge vents installed. 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. 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.

See the benefits of attic ventilation a new roof is more than just shingles. The installation of a turbine vent is nearly identical to a static vent. While this provides an outlet for air flow it does not provide an inlet to complete the convection cycle needed for proper ventilation. Air flows in through the soffit vents and out through the roof vents.

The majority of roofing experts agree that ridge vents are the most effective and cost effective roof vents available. Rafter vents come in 4 foot lengths and 14 1 2 and 22 1 2 inch widths for different rafter spacings.