Attic Vents Are They Necessary
Continuous or individual soffits.
Attic vents are they necessary. Good insulation reduces fan effectiveness. The majority of roofing experts agree that ridge vents are the most effective and cost effective roof vents available. Aside from vents you ll need a handful of 1 1 4 in. Attic ventilation works on the principle that heated air naturally rises primarily utilizing two types of vents.
Intake vents located at the lowest part of the roof under the eaves allow cool. Located at the edges of the roof these intake vents can be installed at the eaves under the soffit at the drip edge or under the shingles at the roof s edge. 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. Soffit vents are one of the most popular intake vent styles.
They are easy to install under the roof s overhang which is known as the soffit are generally hidden from sight and provide excellent protection from weather outdoor debris and pests while still allowing air to flow into the attic. In cold climates the primary purpose of attic or roof ventilation is to maintain a cold roof temperature to control ice dams created by melting snow and to vent moisture that moves from the conditioned space to the attic ventilation acts to bypass the vapour barrier created by most roof. They range in style from 6 inch round stainless steel vent covers that are placed in the soffit between each rafter to continuous vents that run the entire length of the soffit. Attic ventilation fans whether hard wired or powered by their own solar panels seem like a low cost and effective way to help keep your house cool.
When a vapor retardant has been applied to the building during construction the attic ventilation can be reduced to 1 300 of the total area of the attic floor. Galvanized sheet metal screws for the soffit vents utility knife. The downside of attic ventilation fans. Throughout the balance of this digest the terms attic and roof will and can be used interchangeably.
Everything you need to begin a how to roof ventilators project is available at home centers. See the benefits of attic ventilation a new roof is more than just shingles. I have roof vents so i have roof ventilation. These vents are installed in the soffit the enclosed portion under the roof overhang and permit air to flow up under the roof and into the attic.
We chose rectangular hooded roofing vents and rectangular soffit vents because they re easy to install. Take for example ridge vents. The intake vents work with ridge vents to allow cool air to enter the attic space forcing warm air to exit through the ridge vents. Now that we ve reviewed how ventilation works.