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How To Make Sure You Have Proper Roof Ventilation

roof ventilation, ventilation

There are not many things that are as important as roof ventilation when thinking about long term performance. There are many situations in which homes have improper ventilation. This will surely lead towards a musty smell and the shingles are damaged when this happens. Because of such damage, warranty does not come into play and you can lose a lot of money in the process.

Do You Have Proper Roof Ventilation?

This is the first question you want to ask yourself. There are different techniques and products that can help you get proper roof ventilation. Before thinking about what you will install, you have to think about the ventilation amount necessary. Most of the building codes will require a 1 to 150 ratio when referring to ventilation space to actual attic floor space. If we have a total attic area of 1,104 square feet, we will need 7.36 ventilation space square feet.

Venting the Attic Space

There is no single solution that will be suitable for absolutely all situations. You have to compare the different options so that you can choose exactly what is best. When referring to residential properties, these options should be considered:

  • Ridge Venting – You basically have one ventilation strip that will be placed along the house’s ridge line.
  • Insulation Baffles/Soffit Vents – When doing a roof ventilation process, you need air flow exit and entry points. Make sure that you look at soffit vents so that you are sure they are proper. They can allow proper air movement from residence soffit to ridge vent. The insulation baffles have to be placed where roof line meets attic floor.
  • Powered Attic Fans/Whole Home Fans – Vents and fans can be installed in your roof system so that air is drawn out of the attic area. You can control them with a switch or alternatively, use a thermostat. You also have access to interesting solar power options.
  • Gable Vents – Such vents will be installed in gable ends of a building or home. They allow the air to be drawn right of your attic area while also preventing moisture to get inside the property.
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We also have access to other roof ventilation options that can be considered based on home construction. However, the ones mentioned above are the most common.

Roof Ventilation Calculation

Getting back to the example above, we calculated how much vent space is necessary. Besides this we also have to think about how much vent space is already available. This can be done through different calculations that are available. It is necessary in order to see what extras need to be added.

Besides space, we also need to think about materials used in the construction of the roof so that we see if we may need more space than we initially believed. All this is quite complicated and you do need experience in order to make great choices. In the event that you do not know much about calculating roof ventilation needs, it is better to talk to a professional that can help you out.