Attic Ventilation | Roofing Mythbusters Series - Episode #3 | Skywalker Roofing Company
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- Опубліковано 2 лип 2019
- Roofing expert Luke Wilson explains the importance of ridge vents, soffit vents, and why proper ventilation matters to the health of your attic and your overall roofing system.
The pitch of the roof makes a difference. Many Homes have shallow-low pitched roofs. Air flow in these type attics is weaker and the type of vents used is critical for sufficient air movement.
You are correct!!!
Awesome comment. You think adding a ridgevent to a 3:12 manufactured home is a bad idea? Contractor removed box vents and is installing a ridgevent.
I feel like he's wrong.
@@optics4062 ridge vent on a 3 12 could be disasterous haha
I have a 1:12 pitched roof with torch down roofing. I retrofitted a Whirlybird fan towards the peak of our roof years ago and it has made a tremendous difference in our attic temps. Our roof is only 2x6 rafters and has zero insulation. We live in Central Florida and our roof and house get tremendously hot in our Florida summers. Would we be better off installing foam board and then a new roof for out-sulation or use a white roof silicone coating to reflect the heat? Thanks 🙏👍
Thank you for that great answer.
Any time!
I just moved into a home and there isn’t any ventilation in the garage. The garage gets really hot. I started adding reflective barrier and came across your video. You saved me some trouble. I need to go back and figure out a way to add air flow in and out.
My AC ducts started sweating after I had a variable speed Trane installed. Company said Trane recommends closing soffit vents to take care of sweating problem. I wish the building industry would get their heads together and figure this out once and for all. Cold ducts in a hot humid attic is a terrible idea, yet so many homes in Florida have flex duct in a humid attic.
As I see it, ventilation is about controlling temperature and controlling humidity. There can be insufficient ventilation, and there can also be too much ventilation. In the PNW, if there was too much ventilation, the humidity levels in the winter would range between 75 and 100%. That is not good. Mold grows and wood rots, while temperatures could plumet leading to condensation and frost inside the attic on some days. Humidity levels can only be controlled by ventilation if the outdoor humidity is lower than the attic humidity or if intake air is from a source that is drier that the attic air, at least when the air has warmed to attic temperatures. If outdoor humidity is higher at attic temperatures, then ventilation just fills the attic with more-humid air. If there is insufficient ventilation, the same can happen and also temperatures can soar in the summer. The key is to keep temperatures and humidity within a proper range: 30-60% humidity and temperatures from a minimum of 33 degrees in the winter up to no more than 130 degrees in the summer, and best when less than outdoor summer temperatures plus 20 degrees. One way to know if an attic has proper ventilation is to use a remote temperature/humidity sensor that transmits to a base station that can also graph trends. That is the best way to determine if ventilation levels are appropriate. Ventilation requirements can change depending on the season. Not enough ventilation = bad. Too much ventilation = bad. (In my opinion.)
Good read, thanks. I agree a balanced system that has the amount of intake and exhaust recommended by the manufacturers and codes are the best way to go.
Hello, thank you for the explanation of soffit vents. I recently purchased a 40 yr old home, but our 2nd floor living space gets pretty hot. I suspected our soffit vents were covered with insulation, and it was confirmed when I started my DIY insulation project. I have 8 soffit vents in the eaves of my roof that I cleared of all insulation and installed baffles on them. My question is should/could I fill in the non-vented spaces in the eaves with insulation? I blocked of the open spaces between the rafters and top plate of the vented and non-vented bays(?) so that insulation does not migrate over to the vented space if I was to blow-in the insulation into those spaces. Thanks for any information!
If you don't have air flow coming through those rafters, then it would be ok to insulate tight. Before I do that, I would make sure there is enough soffit ventilation. I'll attach a link to calculate the amount needed with your current exhaust vents. airvent.com/ventilation-resources/attic-ventilation-calculator
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany Thank you!
Do I need to install a baffle if I don’t have insulation too close to sill plate on top of wall?
I love your videos! I just had my shingled roof replaced down in here in TX. It’s a smaller 2 story home and had all flat vents until today. The contractor installed three new lomanco whirlybirds and my home is only 1700sqft. My attic always gets insanely hot during the summer. Do you think this would help, or do you think we installed too many whirlybirds?
I don't think that's too much as long as there is plenty of soffit vent.
Update? Thanks
Love your videos!! I have a few areas in my roof that are vaulted. Roofer is telling me to install ridge vents? Is that necessary?
Thanks so much, It depends if when the vaulted area was built, they put insulation between the rafters and a continuous baffle from the eave to the ridge. If so, it will vent properly with a soffit vent and a ridge vent.
How can I vent my hip roof: 16" center rafters are closed off ALl 5 bays down side of house before reaches a FULL RAFTER that's open to ridge vent
I have a 1:12 pitched roof with torch down roofing. I retrofitted a Whirlybird fan towards the peak of our roof years ago and it has made a tremendous difference in our attic temps. Our roof is only 2x6 rafters and has zero insulation. We live in Central Florida and our roof and house get tremendously hot in our Florida summers. Would we be better off installing foam board and then a new roof for out-sulation or use a white roof silicone coating to reflect the heat? Thanks 🙏👍
It would be very beneficial to insulate, with a 1/12 pitch I would use ISO board for insulation and then a PVC thermoplastic membrane to reflect also. The code here calls for a minimum of 5.5" of ISO for R-value. This will be money well spent.
When we had our house resided I had them remove the gable vents and install ventilated soffits. The roof was done in 2016 and I think it has a ridge vent. I can see the plywood was cut shy of the peak but does a ridge vent have an actual piece of plastic installed or is it just a way of laying shingle to allow the air to escape?
There should be a plastic shingle over style vent under the shingle caps that allows the air to flow out. You probably should see a small black shadow line under the cap from the ground to confirm it's there.
What's your opinion of adding a ridge vent on a manufactured home? Contractor plugged all the box vent holes and cut the ridge for a box vent. You can see insulation but there is only a half inch gap. There's extra framing at the ridge so I'm skeptical that's enough.
Also is Gaf ridgerunner any good because it looks super cheap to me.
Thanks
It is possible to vent a manufactured home as long as it has enough room for airflow. The way double wides are put together in the middle, sometimes there is no space for airflow and its way to wide to cut out for ridgevent. It's kind of a case by case situation. Sorry, we don't use any GAF products so I can't speak for that. We use Owens Corning Vent Sure. I hope you're able to help your mother get the roof she deserves. Good luck
I bought my house 4 years ago. Had moisture and mold starting around ac vents, had multiple ac companies come out and none saw problem with unit which leads me to believe its my ventilation. Roof doesnt have ridge vent but had gable vents on each side and soffits look like there is plywood under soffit so no air flow.
You could always benefit from proper airflow in the attic, if you could get soffit vents and ridgevents installed it would be great, but if it's only sweating around the vents it could be lack of insulation around the duct work. Also it could be a void in insulation around the vent itself in the attic. If your attic gets to 120-140 degrees in the summer and the cold air meets this area it will cause condensation. Sometimes this stuff is really hard to diagnose. I would recommend getting someone out who is willing to spend some time and find the issue. I hope this helps
It's definitely the super cold AC duct metal meeting the hot air inside the ad attic causing condensation so the simple answer is you need to get the hot air out of your attic I'm a certified licensed roofer 30 years
i had my wood soffits covered with aluminum siding to make it maintenance free from painting and they didnt cut any holes for venting,without ripping out all my new soffit siding what could i do to add venting and it look good
Patrick, they should have used a vented soffit panel under your overhang. If they didnt I would go back to the installer and ask why. They should never cover up soffit vents without using vented panels. Hope this helps.
I live in N. Arizona..its very dry here. We have all 4 seasons as well. My house was built in 55' it does not have vented soffits. I think just two vents on either side of the house. I have no idea how old or what type of insulation is up there. Q,1. I bought some R-tech 1" insulation borad I was gonna nail to the rafters. (Like drywall.) Woukd that help reduce heat? Q,2 should I replace my insulation? Q,3 can I put in a vented soffit or maybe vented soffit every X feet?
The best option in my opinion would be to put soffit vents in and upgrade insulation. Make sure not to block soffit vents when insulating. There are several online roof ventilation calculators to determine what kind of intake and exhaust vents to use and how many. It is recomended to have 50/50 split
Love your videos. New roof in 2016. 40 year comp. Looks like there are 4 exhaust vent on top of the roof, hoods…. I have screen vents( soffits on the eaves) and our three peaks, gable vents. Appears to be a basic ventilation systems. My attic is extremely hot, live in California. We did an attic HVAC system, added insulation on attic floor and added an Attic fan mounted on one of the Gable vents. Our attic still runs approx 25 to 30 degrees hotter than the outside temp. Our contractor is recommending a radiant barrier or more roof exhaust vents? Any suggestions?
25-30 degrees above outside temp in the summer is very normal and I wouldn't be concerned.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany appreciate the feedback.
What’s your take on attic baffle vents from the bird block soffits? In hot Arizona would this help lower the attic temperature with unimpeded airflow from the blown in insulation?
I would always recommend where applicable, to have soffit ventilation. The baffle is very important to keep the insulation from blocking the airflow.
I just told this to contractor I worked for. Hence the workED. Good stuff and thank you.
Thanks brother, keep safe out there
Have a cape Cod style home. Finished the upstairs insulation, drywall, etc. Still tons of humidity and heat behind knee wall and in ridge above ceiling? Ceiling drywall is cracking and lights get condensation drips in them. Any thoughts or advice, know something is wrong but don't know right fix. Everybody it seems wants to cut holes and put fans in? Please help in pamplin, va and not to many reputable companies around.
John, sorry for the late response. I've been covered up. If you have a knee wall it normally goes up to a cathedral ceiling and sheetrock is directly to the bottom of roof truss. If it is not insulated properly and baffles ran for proper air flow it will create condensation like you're experiencing. Unfortunately the only way to solve the problem is to remove sheetrock or plywood on top of roof to fix the problem. You possibly could look inside the knee wall area and see if it is blocked off or air is able to move through. Send pictures if you want and I'll try to help further.
What do you do if the ridge vent alone is not enough to meet the requirements? I can get as much flow as ever needed from soffit venting, but the roof is an issue. Ridge vents alone can only provide about 517 NFA in this case. I need more than this. It is all hip roof except one small gable, so there is not a quite enough ridge venting possible. I am contemplating also adding some static slant back vents to supplement, but there seems to be conflicting information about this short circuiting the air flow. If they are close to the Ridge peek and the soffit has more flow than the roof (staying close to the 50/50 still, but a bit more from the soffit to help with short circuiting at the top). Would this be okay? Suggestions?
John, it is very hard to get enough ridgevent for proper ventilation on some hip roofs. If it were my home, I would put a power fan with a humidistat. With this fan it would pull air through the attic when the temperatures reach a certain limit and when moisture levels are elevated. I hope this helps
Do you have a preference whirly birds vs. Ridge vents? I tend to think once the whirly birds start rotating they act like a small vacuum to facilitate the ventilation as long as you have enough soffit vents. Ty
I do prefer the ridgevent. If the airflow is right the vent will naturally pull the air out, and look at the total net free area that is flowing compared to a few 8" holes in the roof. There is a 2"-3" open area the full ridge length. Hope this helps.
My preferred contractor wants to install ridge vents in certain sections of my roof. He also suggested having 2 turbines installed in a section that is unsuitable for ridge vents. But this section already has a 1500 CFM Power Roof Mount Attic Fan. He said it's okay to install the turbines just beneath it (picture a triangle section with the electric one at the top; two turbines at the bottoms). I'm not sure such a system will work because the turbines will turn into intake vents, instead of exhaust vents, when the electric vent is on. I appreciate your advice asap. Thank you.
You are absolutely right. The turbines arent designed for air to flow in and that's what would happen when the fans cut on.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany I thought all roofing contractors know what they're doing. I'll ask the roofer NOT to mix exhaust vent types within a common attic area. Too bad your company doesn't provide services in Texas. Thank you very much for your help.
Hi. I have a barndominium in NE Texas and the roof only has a ridge vent. There are no soffit vents, as both the front and back have covered porches. I’m currently in the process of finishing the inside and have concerns about air intake. Wondering if some type of gable end vents should be added. There is attic space above the 9’-0” ceilings. About 5’ to the peak and the building is apprx 1500 sq ft. Thoughts?? Thanks!
If it were mine I would look into venting through the porches. You can come in at the soffit of the porches and make sure it is cut out between the rafters of the home to flow to the ridge. There are also some ways to vent right through the roof at the eaves of the home. Owens Corning makes a sure flow edge vent that works well when there aren't other options.
Hi, my ranch style house has a roof that was installed just about 3 yrs ago. Previously, the roof had powered fans to vent the air coming through the soffit vents. When the current roof was added, it was changed over to a ridge vent, of which it is continuous 35 ft ridge vent. There are two shorter ridges about 20 ft over the two smaller BR's and the garage. I'm not sure that is enough venting for my continuous soffit vents, and I know I should do the calculations to see if I need more ridge vents added to the two shorter ridges. My question is, if I do need more ridge vents added, is it feasible to just add more ridge vents to the existing roof without having to redo the whole roof? It seems to me since the ridge vent is almost the last part to be completed on a shingled roof, it should be fairly easy to more ridge vents to an existing roof. Thanks for your videos, they are very good.
Thanks for your comment, yes if the calculations say you need more ridge vent it is very simple to come back and put it on later. Yes, you will pay more for this after the roof is installed than during, but with a 3 year old roof I wouldn't redo everything. Make sure the air intake and exhaust are balanced to have optimal ventilation.
I have a old home from the 70s or earlier
I replaced some soffit and facia boards last year and noticed even though there was vents in the soffits there are no holes going into the attic , it’s completely sealed build, so the vents were doing nothing and I guess just for looks?
I showed a few people and they said old houses the roofs were built this way
My attic is roasting hot would it make sense to put a large vent in the attic access port so air gets pulled from my main floor into my attic then out the vents ontop of the roof? Or will that suck all my ac right out of the house ?
There is also a solid window at one of the ends of the house in the attic , should I remove that and install a screen ?
Or is there something else I should do ?
It’s very confusing because I understand old houses were built very different than new construction, my house is latthe and plaster with stucco on the out side and from my understanding the whole house is mean to breath rather then the new vapour barrier systems
Any tips would be much appreciated
There are a few options, you can drill through the blocked area so air can flow through the soffit, or you can install an eave vent. Ill drop a link to the one we use.www.owenscorning.com/en-us/roofing/components/products/inflow-vent
Is there a way to test how effective my soffit is working with my ridge vent? I just bought a home that the previous owner had the soffit painted. Most of the ventilation holes in the soffit are reduced in size do to being painted. I'd love to know how much, if any, this matters?
There are some smoke tests on the market you can buy and put down at the eave and it will show if the air is flowing properly.
this is a great video and very good helpful replies in this thread. Sadly my home is the opposite to most of yours, - 1790s 2 foot thick stone walls, with room temperatures of 54f in winter and 54f in summer. I've lost the will to live
I'm sorry to here you're struggling. I know that God loves you and he has a plan for you, keep your head up!!!!
Put in skylights you and the building will brighten
hten and warm up.
I want to turn my 12x12 shed into a more livable place. I will be heating with small heater and cooling with ceiling fan or other fans. I will be sleeping in there some, but not every night. No plumbing or cooking, but will have small refrigerator and coffee pot. I have already insulated walls and put up drywall. I have I guess you would call it a cathedral ceiling and want the extra space. There are 2x4s in ceiling, not 2x6s. How can I insulate the ceiling since I can't put the recommended R value insulation? And if I use batt fiberglass insulation and also use the foam baffles with it, what do I need to do as far as the ventilation?
If it's a 12x12 shed, It probably wouldn't take much insulation at all to keep it warm. I would just put batten insulation with baffles if it were mine.
Split level house built in early 70s so basically a ranch style roof. Gable vents only no soffit vents. Regardless of if someone wants to keep the gable vents or switch to ridge,soffit vents would need to be added,correct? How does a house with no soffit vents and gables only supposed to flow? There was a fan, but was removed previously. I’m guessing it pulled more conditioned air than removing heat. What’s the first step? Adding soffit vents? Thanks
Yes, you are correct. There are several options to choose from for soffit vents. airvent.com/ventilation-calculator-download here is a link to help with your options
Ive seen some new home builds using the monopoly method. Everything from the walls to the roof being sheethed up ro creat an air tight "monopoly" looking home before adding the over hangs. Do you still need venting on those houses?
Those homes are engineered and designed by someone who would have to answer that question. Sometimes new innovations are great and move us forward, sometimes not so good. In that situation only time will tell. I don't think they use conventional ventilation systems.
Hello, I have a 50,s style home where there are no soffits but only the exposed roof rafters around the house. As of now the home has only one gable vent 2’x2’ .
There’s no real source of fresh air coming in . Since I’ve bought the home I’ve add in the attic central gas heat and air , gas water heater. Now my concern is not enough fresh air nor enough venting.
Any advice on how much intake and exhaust I would need. I’m about 1500sqft under roof. And any suggestions on how to get fresh air in. It’s very narrow where the roof meets the exterior walls to get vents between the rafters . Would roof vents low on the roof line work or just a lot of small ones work in the tight areas? So figuring out an adequate number of Sq inches to achieve an adequate intake would Help I’d recon .
www.owenscorning.com/en-us/roofing/components/vent-calculator
Here is a link to a ventilation calculator that we like to use. Just plug in your sq ft of attic space then it will tell you what items will work on your home. When we can't get soffit vents on old homes, we use Owens Corning Inflow vent. I'll also attach a link below for that as well. In this link you will find all the technical data you need. I hope this helps. Let me know if you need anything else.www.owenscorning.com/en-us/roofing/products/inflow-vent
Hi, I have a vented attic just like you described - air is coming in on the perimeter and leaving at the top edge. The attic floor is insulated, but not the attic roof. No insulation on top makes the attic extremely hot in the summer. Is it a good idea to add fiberglass insulation to the roof so that the attic stops being hot and can be used as a storage? Thank you.
You could insulate the ceiling, but most likely would have to install baffles so the air could still flow from the soffit to the ridge.
Question for you. My home/attic has a ridge vent and two end gable vents. It does not have soffit vents. Do you think I should install soffit vents? The home is a 50ft straight ranch style home located in New York.
Yes, the air flow is designed to flow in the eave and out the ridge on a ridge vent system. Previously before the ridge vent, it was only the gable vents. The gable vents should be blocked off as well for it to perform the best. You can go to several sites on the internet to get the proper amount of intake required for your brand of ridge vent. Hope this helps.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany That's wrong, gable vent should never be blocked. According to your weak analogy about fire- air that flows in, should flow out.
@@MrBababuwi It is published in all manufacturer recomendations that if you add a ridge vent, you should close off the gable vents. If not, the air pathway through the attic will be short-circuited, flowing only from the gable vents to the ridge vent and NOT ventilating the lower part of the attic.
Should we be able to see daylight from the ridge vent? We have soffit around the house but I can't see daylight from the ridge vent. My dad said it looks like maybe it was sealed. There does seem to be two gable vents but they're small and our house is 3,500 sqft.
The best way to tell if the ridgevent is cut out is to look at the peak and the plywood or boards should be cut back anywhere from 3/4"-1 1/2" per side. Sometimes the vent also has a mesh under it that keeps debris out but allows it to still breathe.
In the future do you mind putting links to the other Episodes in the video series in the video description, please? I just stumbled across Episode 3 and had to go hunt down Part 1 to get started. It's very helpful to update the earlier episode info to contain links to the newee episodes too! Thanks! :)
Jesse, I will try to work on that in the future. Sorry, I'm not very tech savvy. I'm about to release a new one next week about rake trim and I'll make sure to put that in.
When venting
Which type is best to use whirlybird, low profile vent, ridge vent or attic fan?
I live in central California.
If you have a ranch style home where the soffits and ridge are similar length, the ridge vent is best. I'm not a fan of the whirly birds, if you have a hip roof that doesn't have enough ridge to vent I recommend a good power fan. Try to use one with a humidistat so when the temperature is too low it will still run when the humidity is high.
So today I was talking with a contractor asking him about ways to keep my house cooler, I have a cape style home. So he said to me that he installed an attic fan and it keeps his home really cool, so I told him I have a ridge vent with the soffit and I don’t think I can install an attic fan along with ridge vent. He said it was ok to have both! But to my knowledge it’s one or the other not two. My home needs some insulation, so once it’s done I should feel a big difference temperatures wise. My second floor is really hot or extremely cold during the seasons, hopefully some insulation will fix my issue. Now is there anything I can do to draw more hot air out my attic in the summer?
I would just make sure that there is no obstructions from the eave to the ridge for the air to flow. Sometimes insulation is packed in to tight and needs to be pulled back off the soffits. Also make sure the soffit vents aren't put over wood that isnt cutout properly, I've seen that alot.
Skywalker Roofing Company I checked and I could see light all the way down to the soffits, insulation isn’t blocking , I’m gonna get a company in to check it out and see what I can do to make house warmer or keep the conditioned air in. Definitely needs insulation, it’s old and flat now.
Some of the contractors who gave me a free inspection told me that ridge vent is not a good idea for my roof which is not flat or too steep. Are they right? For the ventilation work properly, do I need to install inflow vents as well? My roof only has some Soffit Vents. Appreciate your input ASAP as I'm in the process of having my roof done. Great video! Thank you.
I'm not sure why they would have said it wasn't a good idea for your roof. There could be many reasons, but they should've told you. If you have soffit vents now, and the air can flow freely from the eave to the ridge it should be the best option in my opinion.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany They said a ridge vent causes a lot of problems to homeowners, and my 7-pitch roof is not high enough to have a ridge vent installed.
@@binhminh417 We have thousands of roofs with ridgevents installed with no problems at all. The only time I would see the pitch being a factor is if its below a 3/12 pitch or over a 14/12. Your roof pitch is perfect for this.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany Thank you.
Re roofing 100+ year old, 2 1/2 store with cathedral/vaulted ceilings with finished attic space. Previously, aluminum soffits wither perforated vents spaced every 7', however holes not cut out in the wood above, so no ventilation. We are going to cut approx 4" x 10" space above those vents, but can't get to the outside edge. Insulation on the floor of attic space is batt insulation. Was suggested to use a baffle, but don't know that will work as the baffle would be away from the roofline. Is there a problem with simply having the ventilation improved by cutitng out fair size hole and having a ridge mount vent for intake/outake but not having something to direct the flow of air? from soffit vent to ridge mount vent or is it natural the air will find it's way up?
ua-cam.com/video/s9y0EVXDaog/v-deo.html
Check this link out. We use Owens Corning edgevent at the eave when you can't get ventilation through the soffit. Let me know if this helps.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany Thank You for your reply. We have a very steep sloped roof ( 9 or 10 pitch). I wonder why the roofer, who is very well respected, did not suggest this. Thoughts? They use GAF & their system.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany Could it be that we have a finished attic space. Our attic is a bit different than video
Im framing a granny flat with a skillion roof (single pitch). What type of ventilation system would you reccomend? Thanks for the help
If its an overhang on the bottom and the top, you could have vented soffit on both and it should flow in the bottom and out the top.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany I keep seeing soffit installation videos that say to level over from the bottom of the overhang of your roof to the wall and install your J channel there, this makes sure when the soffit is installed it's horizontal. You can't do this on the high part of a skillion roof because the over hang is higher than the wall, it also looks kind of dopey on the short wall. Do soffits need to be horizontal on a skillion roof? What do you do in this case?
Ok
I have a home that has no eaves at all. Just roof vents. Is there a way to fix this?
Victor, yes there are ways to have intake and exhaust on your roof with no eaves. We use Owens Corning Vent Sure inflow vent any time we can in that situation. Check out this link and see if helps. If not, let me know and I'll be glad to help answer any questions. www.owenscorning.com/en-us/roofing/products/inflow-vent
I have both ridge vents and soffit vents but my attic is still 130 degrees and I get huge ice dams. will a gable vent help? From the Wisconsin frozen tundra.
Kirk, it is not uncommon at all to have attic temps at or above 130 degrees. It is not recomended to have both a ridge vent and gable vents. I would check with local experts as far as preventing ice dams. We dont see much of that here.
Check out matt risinger!! (and get some spray foam on the ceiling of your attic/ roof) I think it is a mistake to ventilate your attic in the North (as Matt would probably also suggest)
I requested ridge venting and soffit vents. I know the perforated soffit vents were installed, but how can a homeowner tell if a ridge vent is there? If the plywood doesn’t go to the peak - is that enough proof?
Yes, you can go in the attic and the plywood should stop 1-2" from the ridge on both sides and shingles not covering this area. Looking from the outside you should see a black raised 1" lip across the ridge with shingles on top of it. That's the plastic shingle over vent. Feel free to send me some photos and I'll help.
Are ridge cap closurea absolutely necessary if you use the wide ridge cap and cover the vent space under it with wire mesh.
Are you talking about the vented or nonvented outer closure strips that go under metal cap on corrugated metal roofs? If so, yes, we always use the closure strip. I"ve found from past experience that if it's not used leaves and debris will blow up under it and stop up the air flow.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany yes , my good friend is a metal roofer and they never use them but i have big oak around my house and leaves do get in my gutters a lot.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany also my house has s porch the full length of the house, the ceiling is vinyl and jas vent strips every 8ft , vents right into the attic.
Also have vent on both gables and soffit vents if thats what theu are called.
I’m converting a small 12x20 building into living space and there is no overhang to the roof. It has no soffits. Is there a way to add soffit vents?
www.owenscorning.com/en-us/roofing/products/inflow-vent
Let me know if you have problems opening this link. This is what we use in that circumstance. There are instructions online as well to help for the install if needed.
My mobile home roof had styrofoam underneath metal roof deck but no decking to convert roof into shingle roof. My question is the previous metal roof had a continuous ridge vent. Now the roof contractor says it is not needed because of the styrofoam underneath the roof deck. I don’t know if I should take their their word for it.
Most mobile homes have a specific engineered design for each home that is different from stick built homes. Every mobile home manufacturer has different designs depending on when they were produced. I'm sorry I can't say the best option for this home without seeing it.
Hi! What would be the proper method to vent an attic with no eaves/overhang?
www.owenscorning.com/en-us/roofing/components/products/inflow-vent
My attic gets really hot (130 to 150 degrees) during summertime in the south. Would an attic fan be a good idea to ventilate the hot air out?
Yes, an attic fan could help with this. It is not unusual to see those temps in attics in the south though. Also, it is important to have fresh air intake when using the attic fan just like if using the ridgevent. The fan needs to pull air from the eave and out the fan for the flow to be correct, if not it can pull air from inside the home, like around can lights, vents, and any other void in the sheetrock. Also I like the fans with a humidistat as well as a thermostat. That way even in the winter, it will cut on when the moisture gets too high.
Framing a 6/12 roof with energy heals, Enclosed software and ridge vent. My co-workers and I have been butting heads on what needs to be blocked and or not blocked. Between each truss now we have put two blocks in. One on top of double top plate and the other above at an like a typical bird block. Every third bay one out of the two a vented block. Now to me that seems like the attic will not get properly vented. The plans don't specify and energy heals are pretty new to me. Does anyone know how it's supposed to be done.
I'm sorry but I'm not familiar with energy heals. There are several ventilation calculators online to help figure how much intake it needs.
Great video, do you have a roofing company referral in Oklahoma of your skill and caliber?
Thanks, I'm sorry I don't have anyone I can refer on that area. If you have any questions about the estimates you are getting, let me know and I'll try to help.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany thanks a lot, I appreciate that!
Question: My attic gets very hot. I replaced the attic fan at one of the two gable ends last year and recently replaced my roof and added a ridge vent. Roof jacks, which sit low on the roof, were also replaced. I have no soffit vents and only 3.5" of soffit space to add the vents. Would I be better off not using the attic fan or adding the soffit vents? Thanks.
The soffit vents will always help to get the airflow coming in, and at that point you should only use the power fan or the ridgevent, but not both. When the fan cuts on it will draw area from the path of least resistance, which is the ridge vent that is the closest.
I opened my soffits and had my roofer replace the ridge vent with external baffled version. Attic temp never gets hotter than 20 over ambient even in winter. Good luck
I have a ridge vent but not soffit vents. I have a gale vent on each side of the roof and one said has an attic fan. One contractor recommended that I seal the ridge vent and rely only on the attic fan. Does that sound right?
You could do that and probably be fine, but for it to work properly you still need intake vents. When the power fan cuts on and starts to pull air out of the attic, it needs to be fresh air from the eave. If not it will just pull from the gable vents or around can lights, fans, and any other areas not sealed properly from the living area. I would recommend leaving the ridgevent, removing the attic fan, blocking the gable vents, and installing soffit vents for a long term solution that functions properly.
What do you do when you have no ventilation whatsoever? Inspector says it should be a ridge vent roof but there is no cutouts or openings in the roof at all to even install a ridge vent.
You should never put a ridgevent if there is no soffit vent in place. The air has to come in before it can go out. Some inspectors might not have the proper knowledge of ventilation. If your home was built many years ago and shows no sign of sweat or ventilation issues, leave it like the original home builder designed it. Sometimes we can do more damage than good changing the original design.
I have 1300 square foot ranch with gable vents and ridge vent that was installed when roof was put on. Attic was always really hott. I decided to drill soffit vents and install baffles in every bay . For some reason now i can smell my attic( musty smell) in my living space when my central ac turns on . Any ideas ?
If you you smell musty when vents are blowing, I would call your HVAC company. That shouldn't be a result of installing soffit vents. Need to make sure all duct work is sealed. In the past I have smelled something like that when my ac failed and the coils froze.
Thanks for the response. Should I block off gables ?
I had to block off my gables when a ridge vent was installed with soffit vents. I don't remember what the effect is called but during windy rains water would come in through the ridge vent. Once I closed off the gables and left soffits and ridge open no water. Plus my attic never gets over 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperature during winter or summer which has helped tremendously year round. No ice dams in gutters during winter and no blazing attic radiating down in the summer. Good luck
I’ve recently realized I need an attic fan. Should I get a solar attic fan or wind turbine? Do I still need some ventilation during winter? I guess I’m concerned the solar fan will do nothing during winter.
I'm not a fan of the wind tubines. What we typically use is a power vent fan that has a thermostat which allows it to cut on at a certain temperature in the summer and a humidistat, which cuts it on by humidity levels. The humidistat would make sure it vents properly year around. You will just need to supply standard 110 power to it.
How do we keep the outside heat and cold out of the attic with so much ventilation?
You want the attic temps to be hotter or colder depending on the outside temperature. If the attic was hot in the winter time or cold in the summer time it would cause condensation and sweating problems. Kind of like if you sit a glass of ice water on a table in the summertime. The huge difference in temperatures are what creates the condensation, same as cold fronts rolling through creating rain. I hope this helps
Hi, I had a shingle roof and the roofer cut slits down the capping in 8ft sections and put metal roofing with 3/4 styrofoam. But when they put the capping, they used the rubber seals along underneath it. They said it would vent though the metal roof ridges. This was about 10 years ago this was done. We have been smelling mildew every one's and a great while. I just recently found out what the problem was. Roof not ventilating. Was thinking of putting solar attic vents. My roof is 80ft long. It's a 16 wide mobile home. How many should I put? Thanks
Dale, every fan is different. They will list how many square feet they are supposed to vent. If you measure the length and width of your home and multiply it will give you that number. It is very important that your intake is correct. Some sort of soffit vent needs to be in place and the right amount. There are tons of roof ventilation calculators on line you can find to use for that. Hope this helps
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany Thank for the reply, my overhang on the roof is vented about 2 inches the whole length of the roof, 80ft. I dont remember how many roof vents were there before the metal roof. But do you think 2 or 3 fan vents is enough?
@@dalebourgeois9851 It is possible one power fan will be enough. There are fans that will vent up to 3,200 sq ft.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany Thankyou, That's what I was hoping
@@dalebourgeois9851 Yes, 2 or 3 fans will be more than sufficient, but please just make sure you buy fans that are made for close to the same square footage of your attic. It is also a good idea to buy the fans that also have a humidistat also. This allows the fan to run in moist damp conditions in the winter time as well.
Should there be a slit cut on the felt at the top of the peak if there are vent covers on the peaks of the roof or is the felt left in tact? Or should that be where the felt ends and there's no need for cuts?
The felt or underlayment should be cut back even with the top of the plywood or decking boards. There could be some sort of mesh filter attached to the bottom side of the vent that looks like underlayment. It is normally white.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany Thank You
I have an octagonal hip roof (like a gazeebo, but entirely enclosed and insulated). I have installed soffit vents and i am making a cap that will vent like a ridge vent. Obviously, there would be more inlet area (soffit) than ridge vent area (cap). Is this okay? Does it matter?
It has a compound pitch. The first 6 feet is 6/12 and then it is 12/12 for 10 feet to the peak.
It is recommended to have a balanced system, but if you are over on the intake it's not necessarily a bad thing. If you have too much exhaust and not enough intake, it is bad.
An aluminum ridge vent is it possible for wind to bend the ends up on the ridge vent
It shouldn't if installed properly, but anything is possible if it blows hard enough. Most people are going away from the aluminum vent and leaning toward shingle over style vent
Something that I saw a lot in Asian countries (hot and humid) were soffit (kind of) vents under the overhang, but there were not any whirly birds or ridge vents. I ask and ask, but nothing could tell me why.
Interesting
I wonder how cold they get there. If they don't get too cold then probably no problem with condensation.
@@nofurtherwest3474 Tropical. (well, in the southern areas like Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India, etc). So, say about 50 deg in winter would be a low for most areas.
@@darwinjina are the winters wet there? or dry?
if dry and only 50 deg then probably no condensation problem.
@@nofurtherwest3474 humid. With a raining season for a few months.
In the winter our ridge vent gets covered with snow. What's the solution...is there any solution other than removing the snow or do we just live with it?
I,m sorry, but it isn't something we deal with here frequently so I'm probably not the best person to give that recommendation.
Should the gable ends of a home be solid or vented soffit?
The gable vents should be closed off if you have a soffit vent for intake and a ridge vent. You can simply cover the inside with heavy plastic if necessary.
can attic fans replace ridge vents? i have a 1940s house with very little existing venting, both intake and exhaust. it seems easier to add a couple attic fans rather than do a ridge vent.
D F I believe definitely an exhaust fan can replace a vented ridge. An 18” single fan can handle up to 2300 square feet of attic space, however you must have free and clear proper soffit venting! I’m not the expert so wait on him to also answer your question!
D F an attic fan can replace a ridgevent. They both work differently. One pulls the air from a thermostatic controlled fan up from your soffit vents. If you dont have proper soffit vents the fan could be pulling air around all the areas in your ceiling that arent sealed tight with insulation, like lights, fan, etc. Then you are pulling heated or cooled air from your living space. Having proper intake is very important. The ridgevent uses the natural forces of nature similar to a draft in a wood stove. When you open the draft, the fire gets bigger and more air flows through. I hope this helps.
So how do you insulate the attick to make it a room?
You would need to put insulation in the roof trusses and use a baffle above the insulation to keep the proper airflow to the ridge.
Would it be wise to install turban with the ridge cap
Gary Veillon 8 to 24” from the ridge vent. Read installation instructions very carefully the turbine must be level, straight up and down to work properly. It will show you how to find your roofs pitch for proper installation! 👍🏾
It is not recommended to have a ridge vent and a turban together. It disrupts the flow of air from the soffit to the ridgevent. Air follows the path of least resistance, so it could pull air in the turban and out the ridge.
I have whirlybirds but no open sophets but i have 2 gables shold i put sophets in
It would help to put soffit vents in
It depends what climate you have. The hotter the daily / yearly climate. The more ventilation you will want. Generally.
What happens if you have tons of soffits intake vents along with ur ridge vent?
Having too much soffit vent shouldn't hurt you any, too little would.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany do you think with the soffit, gable vent, and ridge vent that the air would come into the ridge and out the gable and intake?
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany thanks!!
Though I appreciate your video, I am disappointed with the lack of depth. For example, if someone climbs into their attic and they see daylight via the soffit vents, does that mean they have adequate ventilation? Nope. If more is required what are the recommended solutions? Can intake vents be combined with bird vents? I've heard that there are many roofers that do not want to climb up a ladder with a saw and cut in more bird vents. Is it okay to combine intake roof vents with bird vents?
There are several online calculators for ventilation. Owenscorning has a app that will do it all for you
Without proper ventilation in the roof can that make your house more hot on the inside?
Inside living space I should say. Thx
That is very true
I just had my roof replaced and had requested ridge vents when the contract was being drawn up. The roof was replaced yesterday and ridge vents were installed ... but the roofers also replaced the existing pair of box vents on one section with new ones as well! Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of the ridge vent I paid for? The roofers tried to claim they observed some sort of ducting in the area of the box vent openings and presumed the vents were dedicated for some special purpose. The only ducting in the ceiling space (there is no attic or crawlspace) is for an A/C vent that's located in the ceiling approximately halfway between the two exterior box vents. Won't combining box vents and a ridge vent result in the box vents becoming air inlets now? Won't they "short circuit" the soffit vents?
You are correct, the box vents can disrupt the airflow from the soffit to the ridge. It is common to have existing bathroom fans or dryer vents attached to some sort of box vent, but if they aren't attached to anything I would recommend removing them when using a ridgevent. If you go to the manufacturers website you can usually find something on ventilation to help support your claim. Let me know if I can help further.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany Thank you. The scheduler is supposed to be out her in the morning, I'll discuss this with him then.
Good info, short and sweet. I know it varies from state to state, but does it matter if a bathroom fart fan is getting vented directly into the attic? I live in Utah and have noticed the fart fan just exhausts into the attic space. I know I am in a dry climate, so does it matter if it’s exhausting directly to the outdoors vs attic space?
yes, it does matter. When your shower is running, or just using the fan while using the bathroom, you are blowing hot moist air up into your attic space. Especially during the cold winter, this creates huge amounts of moisture and sweating issues in attics. I recommend trying to have someone extend this out the roof, it will save you later
If I put in an exhaust fan in my attic do I need to put in an inlet. No ridge vent. I’m in Las Vegas NV. It’s hot as balls here. And none of these houses come with proper attic ventilation.
Desert Rider You MOST have proper ventilation in your attic from your soffit vents for your exhaust fan to work properly or at all!
Desert Rider, please see my response above for D F. I explained why you should have intake if you put a power fan.
Skywalker Roofing Company I have soffits. Is that sufficient?
@@desertrider325 It should be as long as there is sufficient air intake through the soffit.
Ridge vents are not always practical for many homes.
Especially in areas with high winds.
You would be right, it's not always the best fit for every job.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany Something odd here. I installed a soffit vent where there was none and was sorely needed.
Not too sure but I think the attic (that one anyway - have 3 of them) temperature went UP..
Used to be hovering around 105-ish and yesterday shot up to 126.
Might be the wind?
Dunno.
Have about a dozen box vents on the top. And 2 small gable vents which the house came with.
One would think that adding a vent would make things cooler?
The continuous roof vent is a bad idea in eaerthquake country as it compromises the integrity if the roof diaphragm- better to have discrete vents, preferable a few solar powered type
How many btu are trapped in the attic
I'm sorry not sure the answer to that.
Only reason I’m leaving a comment is because once I look up a video, I can no longer return to my search. Thanks UA-cam.
No worries
Is a ridge vent better than a whirley bird?
Yes, it is far better. Especially when it is set up with the right intake and it flows properly.
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany thank u so much. I have a gable vent, and the roofing company put a ridge. I already have like 21 intake soffits that’s are 8x16 size. I just hope the flow is corrext
@@SkywalkerRoofingCompany thanks!!!
Was ready for it but that did not bust myths
Sorry, but I hope it was informative
Stone Cold Steve Austin found a new line of work I see
Thanks, you are too kind!!!
Can you have too much soffit intake?
Ideally, the total net free area of the intake vents should match the total net free area of the exhaust vents. Anything less than balanced is not optimal. But if it is going to be out of balance you would want more intake than exhaust. It shouldn't hurt you to have a littler more intake, but definitely could hurt if you had more exhaust. I hope this helps, let me know if you have more questions
I have a few questions that I can’t find the answers to. I know it’s code, but if I can’t find the answers that convince me other wise, I’m going to have my roof torn back apart after the final inspection of my new built house and reconstructed with no ventilation. With roof ventilation your opening places for water and pests to enter. With no holes in roof no water getting in. If you suck air in your sucking in the moisture. If it rains too hard water will come in. Then the bats, bees, snakes, etc…. Also I have a problem with releasing the hot air from my attic. My family freezes me in the summer and winter so im tight clinched on what hot air there is. In other words, I’ll take all I can get. Then in winter you are blowing cold air out and sucking colder air in. That in my opinion is stupid. So, what is the real purpose of roof ventilation? And why does the state force it.
I think it's to handle the moisture that is produced within the home, including cooking steam, shower steam, human perspiration, etc. It all ends up trapped under the roof and causes mold and rot. Any time there's a temperature difference between outside and inside, moisture travels to the barrier between the two temperatures. To prevent pests getting into openings there are thick wire mesh pieces you can nail or staple in place.
Ventilation is necessary to keep the manufacturers warranty first. You always want the attic temps closer to the outside temp so there will be no moisture problems. If you notice how the codensation forms on a cold iced drink in a hot room, same principal applies. There are screens and mesh built into most ventilation products.
Because stone cold said so
Lol!!
Again, no information about how to properly vent the attic
Raymond, what kind of information are you looking for?
This guy didnt explain sh8t
Thanks for the uplifting comment, you must be a ray of sunshine to everyone you come in contact with.
um.. a lot of talking... not a lot of facts...
sorry you didn't like it
Insulating the ceiling is probably the dumbest thing you could do. Insulate the roof!
I have seen hundreds of examples why that is a terrible idea. When the ceiling is insulated properly and the attic is vented properly, you know everything is good. Insulating the roof system without proper ventilation can cause condensation and you will never know it because it's covered up.
My roof had styrofoam underneath metal roof deck but no decking to convert roof into shingle roof. My question is the previous metal roof had a continuous ridge vent. Now the roof contractor says it is not needed because of the styrofoam underneath the roof deck. I don’t know if I should take their their word for it.
Most mobile homes have a specific engineered design for each home that is different from stick built homes. Every mobile home manufacturer has different designs depending on when they were produced. I'm sorry I can't say the best option for this home without seeing it.