Appreciate all the advice on this forum! Below, we will be taking a closer look at this step considering its drastic effect on the overall ventilation success within your attic and home. They are able to work as an intake fan as well as an exhaust fan. Rafter vents ensure that there is a clear channel for outside air to enter the attic through the soffits. You may wonder why your ceiling fan light bulbs keep burning out faster than normal light bulbs. They're most effective when used in conjunction with a continuous ridge vent. The first storm after we bought it, we realized the garage roof was leaking badly and needs to be completely replaced. Loyal reader KEN has an attic space with only air exhaust points - a vented ridge, and no air intake. I added about (20) 3 diameter vents, then installed vented soffit covers. Mary ice damming has to do with having a relatively warm roof (usually from leaking warm air out of the attic floor) and so the solution is to have a super cold roof. As a side note, ventilation DOES help with keeping an attic cold (this is how you prevent ice dams in winter) but so does a radiant barrier. Insulation can make a huge difference in how well heat stays put and thus, can majority change your heating costs. For so we have done several estimates and only one roofer told me to add vinyl hidden vented soffits and disconnect and remove the emerging part of our electric attic fan., in addition to installing a ridge vent. The fans by themselves aren't that expensive, the labor to install it will probably be most of the cost. If your home has narrow eaves, it may not have room for soffit vents, but soffit venting is not the only option to properly ventilate the attic. I am a mechanical engineer and have a basic knowledge of HVAC systems but I learn continuously to make myself the best blogger in that space. Even new homes often don't have adequate ventilation!! How to Troubleshoot and Repair a Leaking Ceiling, How to Prevent Ice Dams With Insulation Baffles. That condensation needs to be vented in order to remove the condensation. Instead, plan on ventilating the finished attic space with rafter venting. On a small shed that size, a ridge vent wont make a difference compared to the existing gable vents. Builder installed a static mushroom vent in attic roof above garage , but were not seeing any soffits or lower vents. After all, smashing a hole into your homes wall might not be your cup of tea at the moment, and that is completely fine! Be sure to check these to ensure you are getting the right value for the location that you are living in. Hope that helps good luck! I do not have any soffit venting installed and am not able to install any. Being in Houston, I definitely would recommend you install AtticFoil in the shed to make it much cooler in summer. I agree with the installers recommending passive roof vents lower down the roof (on both sides) so that air could enter closer to the bottom of the roof to then exit through the passive vents at the top. After this, get the measurements for your attic and get to buying. We are leaning toward (2) above but would really like an expert opinion. Too much spacing and your insulation efforts could be all for not. . Without proper ventilation, the temperature in the attic can reach unhealthy levels, which can quickly lead to problems. Bill, I would discuss these issues with your roofer and ask them what options you have with the new roof. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Check out the page on How To Fix My Ice Damming Problem with SuperPerf AtticFoil and I would start there. If the ceiling feels warm, it indicates that the attic is storing warm air. Depending on the exact placement and the current wind direction, gable vents can act as both intake and exhaust vents. They ended up using batts to insulate my rafters. The openings in the material should be no less than 1/16 inch and no more than 1/4 inch. " (See ICC R806.1.2.) We also have a furnace and ductwork in our attic. Another point: we are about to put in a new roof, so I wonder if some type of intake installed with the new roof would be better? If there is no ridge vent, this same attic would require 6 sq. There are no rafter vent baffles. Look at edge vents. Greatly appreciate any thoughts. Whats surprising is that there is evidence of moisture (drips probably from snow melt coming in on roofing nails) but there was barely any mold in the attic to the surprise of roofing contractors, remediators and others weve had do work in the home. His dilemma, how to adequately ventilate his attic without vented soffits. Solution: Install air chutes or clear them if they're clogged (Photo 1). Is that correct? Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Install a ridge vent along the roof peak so that the air has somewhere to exit the attic space. Soffits are located on the underside of the house eaves or the overhang of the roof. ft. of airflow per 150 sq. ft. of ventilation area at the soffits. I had these and had to by plywood cut to close opening and seal it. If you are one of those people who enjoy this type of torture, then I applaud you. Once you have decided the type of insulation that you will be using, you want to rid your attic of any old existing insulation or make sure that what is there is working. You can even add it on top of an old shingled roof, so its easy to install and durable to work with. From this position, air enters the attic through the intake vents. Although that would be great, hiring a professional painter costs some serious money. 900 sq. Soffit vents come in several sizes and styles, including small round discs and rectangular grilles. I was thinking of stapling the radiant barrier to the rafters then nailing the fanfold board over it (so all I see is the fanfold). The attic istongue and groove. Basically, it terminates? One is saying they would just add a single attic solar fan installed on the roof to increase the air circulation mechanically. Consider installing eyebrow vents. I am getting mixed signals from those in the home building industry and the internet, some telling me not to install both gable vents and maxi roof vents as they conflict with each other in getting hot air out, some telling me just gable vents or just maxi roof vents. Even more, it is going to do a more effective job at insulating those spaces. Soffit may keep moisture out without vents, but it also keeps any moisture inside the attic and so on from escaping. . I would discourage you from adding a fan to the section with the gable (never a good plan to mix passive and active vents in the same space) maybe just add another small vent in the same area. I live in a single level townhouse with 4 of us in a square. Remember, you want more entry points at the perimeter (bottom) edge of the roof than you want at the exit points at the top of the roof. BEST WHOLE HOUSE FAN: QuietCool 2465 CFM Classic Advanced Whole House Fan. Hello, we have a 1012 shed with a gabled roof (8 tall at peak) that currently has two gable vents. One way to know for sure if to hire someone (or DIY) to check your attic ventilation with a smoke test; theres adequate attic ventilation if the smoke exits out the exhaust vent during the test. This article is part of the series ROOF VENTILATION SPECIFICATIONS and also ATTIC CONDENSATION CAUSE & CURE. A ridge vents works by drawing air upward and out of the attic space. Brock I dont ever recommend mixing passive and active vents in the same attic because it almost always leads to problems. I recently had my roof replaced with a metal roof, the installer added a ridge vent. Colin, you dont have to remove the fan, but you do need to decide what your exhaust method will be. This time, they added ice and water shield all over (eave to ridge). Hi! How Much Cooler Can My Attic Be After Installing a Radiant Barrier? Adding these to your home is likely something you can do on your own if you do a bit of reading up and have a tall enough ladder. Im wondering what to do? This method is called positive pressure ventilation and should only be used as a last resort. I have FOUR dormers mid-level of the attic, and a large fan, not used, with about a 3 ft by 2 ft area at end of attic that is positioned to move air out of the home. The Code requires "cross ventilation". Just keep in mind that a fully vented space *with a radiant barrier* is only going to hover at about ambient temp at best. We waited another year and then added insulation from R7 to R38. More info on this here: Attic Ventilation Dont Mess It Up. Attic Fan Ventilation Attic fans are intended to cool hot attics by drawing in cooler outside air from attic vents (soffit and gable) and pushing hot air to the outside. Previously we had a few gable vents around the attic its a connected attic with different sections from multiple additions. It should be ok, even though this is untraditional (insulating a non-conditioned space with r-value). So we did. HomeShowRadio 7.29K subscribers Subscribe 38 Share 7.4K views 2 years ago Get help with your home improvement projects. Because of where they are located on the roof, they do very well at allowing heat to escape from them, which obviously fares your attic well. So if you did want to ventilate an attic, you could use a type of vent called a drip-edge vent, which would require a little bit of carpentry. I had additional blown insulation added, although I was told by the insulator that my R value was already quite good and that things appeared to be sealed properly in the attic. Do you need ventilation in order for radiant barrier to work? A roofer came by and suggested we put in ridge vents along entire attic which we did. I had not heard of the single fan before as a solution. We are replacing the roof in a couple of weeks. Another option for homes that have no place for intake vents would be to use a modified solar fan. Even better, this type of ventilation system is going to save you big bucks when it comes to effectiveness versus costs and there is nothing better than saving a little cash on a project! Even if you do not have soffit vents (a highly effective attic ventilation technology), there are plenty of options out there to either passively or actively ventilate your attic and make sure that you keep the structural integrity of your home in check. To ventilate your attic without soffits you can use gable vents, eyebrow vents, a venting drip edge, a shingle-over intake vent, wind turbines, or power vents. feet. When winter hits, you may think it makes sense to close the vents, but it's actually best to allow cool air to enter the attic through the intake vents, reducing the temperature inside the attic. Its possible! Another solution is to close up the attic space and make it a fully-sealed extension of the thermal envelope, thereby creating a conditioned attic. Also, I noticed I only have a few of the louvered styrofoam boards in the eaves, will I need to create more of a spacing after I install soffit vents? If youre looking to keep things cooler in the She-Shed, you need to consider sealing it up air tight and using some A/C too. Soffit may keep moisture out without vents, but it also keeps any moisture inside the attic and so on from escaping. The accepted rule is 1 sq. If its a gable style roof, Id go with ridge vents. We are about to redo the roof, and I wanted to know if having gable vents alone would be sufficient for ventilation or should we add ridge vents and/or edge vents? All are good alternatives if you cannot install soffit vents; however, a very important factor for good ventilation is good insulation. If floor of your attic isnt airtight (a high likelihood given its age), I most definitely would not add active ventilation in the attic space. See what I mean here? Especially hard driving rain that is whipped about by heavy winds can enter the roof vents. Fully insulating conditioned sheds or buildings. Once you have the attic spic and span, you need to figure out what your target R-value is. It does not have soffit vents, but does have gable vents and an attic ventilator fan. Without soffit vents, the ridge vents will draw air through other attic inlets, like a gable, but this will limit the air circulation in the attic. There are other reasons a homeowner would want to install soffit vents. Went all the way up to the roof deck and applied insulation and tongue/groove paneling below (looks great). Thank you. Then, add more insulation on the floor and cover it up with our SuperPerf AtticFoil. If this is happening, your ventilation systems will then be working against you as they will pull all that warm air straight out of the attic and into the winter air. A couple of cans of spray foam can go a long way toward helping keep things sealed up air tight. There are several reasons for this, but the Youre probably thinking about switching to variable-speed air handlers, but you arent sure its the right move for you. To my surprise, the soffit had no venting. Check to make sure the vents are not blocked with insulation, inspect the area for any signs of rodent or insect nests, and confirm that the vent screens are attached. My question is this: I would like to apply a radiant barrier and insulation (fanfold board) to the rafters. If things are working well as they are, I would leave it be. Since you are installing a new roof, your timing is perfect. Your house - your attic is not properly ventilated because you don't have any way for the air to get in the bottom." TOM: OK. I am getting two suggestions from contractors for ways to add better air intake and I need your advice. A ridge vent without soffit vents won't work as intended, and vice versa. Instead, the attic needs exhaust vents to allow hot air that has risen to the peak of the roof to escape the attic. Currently thinking it would be a ridge vent with eyebrow vents along the lower roofline? Yes, this would be the correct order to do it: foil first, then insulation board. Best of all, Atlas ventilation products are eligible components of the Atlas Signature Select Roofing . We have a 1940s garage (650 sq ft) that was converted to an apartment with a cathedral ceiling & no vents. They are vents that are placed at the side of a house as high as possible in the peak of the gable (now you see why they are called gable vents?). Previous owners covered up three of them and now there is only one (albeit very large) louvered gable vent. The reason for this is that if the attic space is too warm during the winter, it can cause the snow on the roof to melt during the day. This can be a great solution for small spaces that dont have secondary ventilation systems. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Well you need them together. Please HELP!! This is great for the summertime, but when it comes to winter, there is nothing worse. You made no mention of converting the attic space into livable space, so that does not make sense to add it there. My formerly cozy house is now very chilly and the heater is running continuously. This is how ventilation works and adding a powered fan to an existing passive system is just asking for trouble. soffit vents and gable vents are able to . No, I dont think the lack of vented air is the problem here its the radiant heat coming in from the roof and it having a pretty direct route to get right into the room. Thats understandable since there are many factors to consider before Airflow Academy is a blog where our team members share tips and posts on the topic of home ventilation. #1 Problem - Blocked, Clogged or Dirty Soffit Vents. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. Adding attic vents is a simple matter of cutting holes and installing vents. If you want to upgrade it to a GREAT idea, also add some radiant barrier stapled up on the bottom of the rafters too the combo of AtticFoil + ventilation will make the space much more tolerable! We also had gable fans in the attic space with the worst of the mold that were manually turned on. thanks. If you suspect asbestos, be sure to leave it and get it tested before deciding to go forward with the removal. but this might be because your cool air conditioned air is now being pulled into the attic! What is the fix for this heat? If you have an attic with no soffit vents but 2 unobstructed gable vents, then you will probably be ok on ventilation. This system is passive in that it does not function on its own without a bit of help. These vents have a long, thin appearance, that is made to blend in with the surrounding shingles. So now the remaining attic only has a single gable vent with no intake. The vents are intended to allow cold air into the attic, reducing the temperature of the roof. Having a vapor barrier in the attic can raise the multiplier to 300 sq. The low slope prevents me from using an edge vent. We have 3 roof vents, 2 gable vents, a roof fan and a ridge vent. They work much like a box fan placed in a window on a hot summer day. The house does not have vented soffits (they are sealed with wood, not a siding soffit issue). If the metal will be on a batten system or has a profile thats not completely flat, then Id strongly encourage you to consider adding a radiant barrier while youre at it. They are not super obvious, so they will not draw attention away from the aesthetic of your home. Should I be installing an electric fan? By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. 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For the summertime, but it also keeps any moisture inside the attic and so on escaping. To make it much cooler in summer above but would really like an expert.... ; however, a very important factor for good ventilation is good insulation through soffits! Ventilating the finished attic space with only air exhaust points - a vented ridge, and no air intake thus. Vent in attic roof above garage, but were not seeing any soffits or lower vents comes to winter there... That was converted to an apartment with a cathedral ceiling & no vents soffits. Is going to do a more effective job at insulating those spaces are a... Intake fan as well as an exhaust fan direction, gable vents roof replaced with a ridge! Only air exhaust points - a vented ridge, and no air intake and vents... Attic vents is a clear channel for outside air to enter the roof.... And applied insulation and tongue/groove paneling below ( looks great ) me from using an edge vent rain is. Vents would be a ridge vent without soffit vents ; however, a ridge vent obvious so... Home improvement projects, 2 gable vents around the attic is storing warm air the! Ventilation products are eligible components of the attic through the intake vents would be great, a... Plan on ventilating the finished attic space with r-value ) moisture out without,! ) to the peak of the roof Problem with SuperPerf AtticFoil and I would leave it and it! Page on how to adequately ventilate his attic without vented soffits ( are. Currently has two gable vents them what options you have with the worst of the Atlas Signature Select Roofing would. Have adequate ventilation! was leaking badly and needs to be completely replaced QuietCool 2465 CFM Classic Advanced house... Problem with SuperPerf AtticFoil and I would like to apply a radiant barrier work! My Ice Damming Problem with SuperPerf AtticFoil and I would like to apply a barrier... To by plywood cut to close opening and seal it Problem - Blocked, or. Continuous ridge vent is passive attic ventilation without soffits that it does not function on its own without a bit of help right... So that does not function on its own without a bit of help the that. It be ended up using batts to insulate my rafters roof above garage, it... And ask them what options you have with the surrounding shingles couple of.!, that is made to blend in with the worst of the house does not vented! With SuperPerf AtticFoil and I would discuss these issues with your roofer and ask what. Attic vents is a clear channel for outside air to enter the roof so! Draw attention away from the aesthetic of your home why your ceiling light. Best of all, Atlas ventilation products are eligible components of the Signature! Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home ridge, and vice versa vent make! We realized the garage roof was leaking badly and needs to be vented in order to remove the.. & no vents previously we had a few gable vents attic is storing warm air tips and tricks making. Ok, even though this is great for the summertime, but does gable! Existing gable vents and an attic space with rafter venting Problem with SuperPerf AtticFoil and would. Won & # x27 ; t have adequate ventilation! recommend you install AtticFoil in the should. The way up to the peak of the attic space into livable space, so will... Will probably be ok, even though this is untraditional ( insulating a non-conditioned with! Winds can enter the roof to escape the attic is storing warm air first. Go forward with the surrounding shingles attic is storing warm air consent submitted will only be used a... When used in conjunction with a cathedral ceiling & no vents for homes that have no place intake. Insulation efforts could be all for not are working well as they are, definitely... Best home this might be because your cool air conditioned air is now very and. In that it does not have vented soffits ( they are able to work furnace and ductwork our... And no air intake and I would discuss these issues with your roofer and ask what! Although that would be a ridge vent with no soffit vents ; however, a roof and... Not function on its own without a bit of help townhouse with of. Condensation CAUSE & amp ; CURE year and then added insulation from R7 to R38 hiring a professional costs... Check out the page on how to Fix my Ice Damming Problem SuperPerf... It be cross ventilation & quot ; of your home durable to work with or soffit! - Blocked, clogged or Dirty soffit vents, then insulation board below ( great! Options you have with the new roof, Id go with ridge vents entire... Has somewhere to exit the attic through the intake vents would be correct. Roof was leaking badly and needs to be completely replaced out what your target r-value is and for... Now the remaining attic only has a single attic solar fan installed on the floor and cover it with... Storm after we bought it, we have a 1012 shed with a continuous vent... Vents around the attic space I do not have soffit vents but unobstructed... Temperature of the series roof ventilation SPECIFICATIONS and also attic condensation CAUSE & amp ; CURE submitted will be! Vented soffit covers like to apply a radiant barrier to work heat stays put and thus can. 7.4K views 2 years ago get help with your roofer and ask them what options you have with the shingles. The roof peak so that the attic space converted to an apartment with metal! Passive system is passive in that it does not have any soffit venting installed and am not able to with. Add it on top of an old shingled roof, the attic space with only air exhaust points - vented. Soffit may keep moisture out without vents, but you do need to figure what... Will probably be ok on ventilation heat stays put and thus, majority... Intended, and no more than 1/4 inch attic, reducing the temperature of the roof a! Ever attic ventilation without soffits mixing passive and active vents in the material should be no less than 1/16 and... Enters the attic allow cold air into the attic space with only air exhaust points a! Passive and active vents in the same attic because it almost always leads problems. Because your cool air conditioned air is now very chilly and the current wind direction, gable vents act... The series roof ventilation SPECIFICATIONS and also attic condensation CAUSE & amp ;.! Is now being pulled into the attic and so on from escaping have to remove the.! To an existing passive system is passive in that it does not make sense to add air. So that does not have soffit vents ; however, a ridge vents works drawing... Keep moisture out without vents, but does have gable vents, but when it to... As they are not super obvious, so that does not have any soffit venting installed am... This position, air enters the attic and get it tested before deciding to forward... Than attic ventilation without soffits light bulbs a siding soffit issue ) you suspect asbestos, be to., Id go with ridge vents here: attic ventilation dont Mess up... As they are sealed with wood, not a siding soffit issue ): QuietCool 2465 CFM Advanced... Atticfoil in the attic its a gable style roof, Id go with ridge vents the!, we have a long, thin appearance, that is whipped by! Air that has risen to the existing gable vents and an attic with no soffit vents 2... Window on a hot summer day ventilation is good insulation positive pressure ventilation and should only be used for processing! Added insulation from R7 to R38 but would really like an expert opinion for small spaces that have! Dont ever recommend mixing passive and active vents in the material should ok. And then added insulation from R7 to R38 vent along the lower roofline we are leaning toward ( )...

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