Asked by: Abdelazize Oxe
home and garden home appliances

What is the best way to ventilate an attic?

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For the best results, place roof ventilation near the roof's peak and soffit vents in the eaves. Air flows in through the soffit vents and out through the roof vents. Vents come in various styles. We chose rectangular, hooded roofing vents and rectangular soffit vents because they're easy to install.


Also question is, what is the best attic ventilation?

Static, roof-line, vents are effective for ventilation but generally aren't recommended due to issues with leaks. Soffit vents may leave air trapped at the top of your attic. Most effective ventilation uses a ridge-and-soffit continuous ventilation system, but even these designs can vary from roof to roof.

Additionally, what happens if attic is not vented? As we've learned, the biggest problem with not having proper attic ventilation is moisture. And if you don't vent correctly, all that warm, wet heat is going to sit around and take up space in your attic.

Also asked, how much ventilation is needed in an attic?

The general rule of thumb on the amount of total attic vent space needed is to have at least one square foot of vent space for every 150 square feet of attic area.

How do you tell if your attic is properly ventilated?

Here are four signs of an unventilated or under ventilated attic:

  1. Look at your eaves and roof.
  2. Touch your ceiling on a warm, sunny day.
  3. Thick ridges of ice on your eaves in winter are a sign of poor attic ventilation.

Related Question Answers

Yusraa Jopp

Professional

Can you over ventilate an attic?

Can there be too much ventilation in an attic? They can disrupt the air flow through the attic.” When you have gable vents, the airflow coming in through the soffit or overhang vents can be disrupted by cross ventilation from the gable vents.

Boni Jaske

Explainer

Does a finished attic need to be vented?

There is no venting at all in the attic - the roof is a "hip roof" (?) with no gable ends and has a large dormer on each side. The thinking is that the foam will both prevent moisture from reaching the roof in the winter and will prevent superheated air from being trapped against the roof in the summer.

Carletta Ortal

Explainer

How do I stop condensation in my attic?

Two processes must be in place to effectively stop condensation in the loft space. Firstly there must be adequate ventilation. Secondly , you must remove or reduce as much as possible warm moisture laden air rising into the loft. To prevent warm air rising into the loft, ideally, a vapour barrier would be fitted.

Gaynelle Talmin

Explainer

Why does an attic need to be vented?

Natural Attic Ventilation
Proper insulation and air sealing also keeps attics cold in winter by blocking the entry of heat and moist air from below. In the summer, natural air flow in a well-vented attic moves super-heated air out of the attic, protecting roof shingles and removing moisture.

Melony Mendiaratz

Pundit

Do I need an attic fan if I have a ridge vent?

Vents that run along the roof ridge are an alternative to those that exit through the roof decking or gables, and if the ridge is long enough, they may be the only roof vents you need. As long as you have enough space at the base of the roof for an equal amount of soffit vents, you shouldn't need a fan.

Rosina Sires

Pundit

Are gable vents intake or exhaust?

Gable vents are installed in the gabled ends at opposite ends of the attic. When prevailing winds blow perpendicular to the vents, the gable vents act as both intake and exhaust. Less air exchange takes place and attic ventilation is not uniform, so it's less effective.

Olayo Mamani

Pundit

How hot is too hot for an attic?

An unventilated attic can reach 150 degrees in the heat of summer -- 50 degrees higher than it should be. An overheated attic can bake asphalt shingles on the roof and cause them to deteriorate.

Rachad Kaberov

Pundit

Are attic fans a good idea?

Even if your roof already has ridge vents and plenty of ventilation built in, it's a good idea to install gable fans or roof fans to help blow hot, humid air out of the attic. Attic ventilation fans also tend to be quite energy-efficient in terms of their own operation.

Artak Gomez Landero

Pundit

Can you have too much soffit ventilation?

Theoretically you can have too much soffit venting if the system is out of balance dramatically but most homes are out of balance in the wrong direction (i.e. too much exhaust and not enough intake).

Zhihong Juhnev

Teacher

Sene Chuhrov

Teacher

How can I vent my attic without soffits?

Two simple alternatives to soffit vents can be installed with little more than a circular saw and a hammer. Drip-edge vents hang out several inches past the edges of the roof, allowing you to trim 1 inch from the top of the fascia to allow air into the attic.

Gonzaga Payeras

Teacher

Do you need attic ventilation with spray foam?

Most installations of spray foam insulation, when properly installed, act as an air barrier. When you use it instead of the fluffy stuff (fiberglass, cellulose, cotton), a house will be more airtight. That's good. Well, source reduction and separation would come first, but airtight homes need mechanical ventilation.

Hafid Varese

Teacher

Do whirlybirds really work?

Whirly birds just by themselves are not very effective. They require vents (either in the eaves or in the ceiling of the house) to let cooler air in as the warm air is expelled through the turbine. So, if you are getting whirly birds installed, make sure that there are adequate ceiling vents to allow air replacement.

Suk Canhoo

Reviewer

Do ridge vents leak?

With proper installation and care, ridge vents should not leak. However, improper installation leads to leaky vents. In some cases, installers will use the wrong nails or shorter nails to secure the vents to the structure. Another problem that can lead to leaking roof ridge vents involves sealant.

Minh Carpizo

Reviewer

What is the point of an attic?

Attics are generally used for storage, though they can also help control temperatures in a house by providing a large mass of slowly moving air. The hot air rising from the lower floors of a building is often retained in attics, further compounding their reputation as inhospitable environments.

Massimiliano Moura

Reviewer

How do you install baffles in your attic?

  1. Determine the size baffles you need by measuring the space between your attic's rafters.
  2. Position the first baffle.
  3. Continue installing baffles, moving up the rafter bay towards the peak of the roof.
  4. Seal the baffles.
  5. Install insulation in each rafter bay over the baffles, following the manufacturer's directions.

Adulfo Bethig

Reviewer

How far apart do you put soffit vents?

The soffit vents should be evenly spaced on both sides of the roof, just under the edge. They must be kept free of obstructions, and roof insulation shouldn't be any closer than 3 inches.

Dolors Chellos

Supporter

What is a gable vent?

Unlike other passive venting systems, such as soffit or ridge vents, gable vents are meant to be seen. They are made visible on the front of a house or roof and add an architectural element to an otherwise invisible opening.

Atanasio Iturzo

Supporter

How many rafter vents are needed?

Calculate how many rafter vents you need. Measure the length and width of the house in feet. Multiply those two numbers and then divide by 150 to get the vent space square footage. Divide that number by 2 to determine how many vents you need.