Venting Your Attic

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.

Venting your attic.

Gable vents may circulate air through only a small percentage of your attic. Static roof line vents are effective for ventilation but generally aren t recommended due to issues with leaks. These fans may be controlled by a switch or a thermostat which detects heat build up in the attic space and automatically exhausts the attic space. Then divide the total area by 150 to find the total amount of vent space needed for your attic.

If those steps don t solve the problem add more soffit vents following the techniques we show in photos 4 17. Cool air in hot air out. To choose the proper ventilation system for your attic you ll first need to know the total area of your attic. Fans and vents may be installed on the roof system that will draw the air out of the attic space and exhaust it to the exterior.

To determine the area multiply the length times the width in feet. Good ventilation allows the heat and moisture to escape. An attic fan works by exchanging the hot air in your attic space for fresh air pulled through the vents. These vents allow outside air to enter the attic at the lowest point of the roof along the underside of the eave.

See the benefits of attic ventilation a new roof is more than just shingles. In the summer good attic ventilation reduces heat buildup. 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. Begin by making sure your existing system works photos 1 and 3 plugging major air leaks into the attic photo 2 and correcting any other of the common causes of poor attic venting.

This will help to avoid premature damage to the shingles or mold building up in moist hot. The net free vent nfa area of each vent you have installed should be. So if your attic is 25 by 15 you ll need 2 5 feet of vent space. In the winter warm moist air seeps into the attic from the living space below.

That keeps your attic dry and reduces ice dams. Most effective ventilation uses a ridge and soffit continuous ventilation system but even. If your home is fitted solely with small gable end vents or a ventilator high in the roof you might want to consider adding soffit vents to increase airflow. Soffit vents may leave air trapped at the top of your attic.