Proper Roof Venting

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.

Proper roof venting.

Photos 1 6 show how it s done. If this air lingers it can condense on the underside of the roof sheathing and rot it. A ridge vent is a ventilation strip that is placed along the ridgeline of the home. The first step is to check out this 60 second video and learn about the 300 1 rule the difference between intake and exhaust ventilation and why proper ventilation is so important to get right to help calculate your attic ventilation needs visit gaf ventilation calculator.

Sure installing roof vents for older homes can reduce your hot air during the summer but there are probably more low risk cost effective ways to increase your home s energy. For instance attic ventilation is used widely in cold climates to evacuate the warm moist air that escapes from the living space below. This is accomplished through the placement of ventilation near the bottom of the attic space at the soffits or eaves intake and at the top peak s or ridge s of your attic space exhaust. Mark the roof venting locations from the attic where you can see the rafters and avoid placing roofing vents over them.

Advantages of proper roofing ventilation. 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. Proper attic ventilation offers numerous advantages to the homeowner. A healthy airflow also helps with ice dams which begin to form when warm air in the attic melts the snow from beneath.

In a cold climate the primary purpose of ventilation is to maintain a cold roof temperature to avoid ice dams created by melting snow and to vent any moisture that moves from the conditioned. Ensuring your home has the proper attic ventilation according to these guidelines however can save yourself the stress and hassle of an emergency roof repair. 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. Good roof ventilation can do this but shingle color sun exposure and insulation are exponentially more important to overall energy efficiency than ventilation.

Although there are many different types of roof vents to choose from ensuring you have the right number of both intake and exhaust vents is a central part of roof design. The intent of roof venting varies depending on climate but it is the same if you re venting the entire attic or if you re venting only the roof deck. How attic ventilation works. How do you pick the right attic vent.