Why Would My Roof Need Soffit Vents
I recently completed some routine maintenance on my home and began to wonder if my roof needed soffit vents. So, I did some research on soffit vents and other types of attic ventilation, and here is what I found.
So, does my roof need soffit vents? A roof may need soffit vents if there is no other ventilation allowing for adequate air movement. However, if the attic space is properly sealed and insulated, there is no need for this type of ventilation.
There is no question that a standard attic space should be vented. While allowing the ambient air temperature to flow through the space between your house and your roof may seem counterintuitive, this actually allows for home components to last much longer and perform at their best. Soffit vents are an easy, aesthetically pleasing way to vent the attic space.
What Is Roofing And Attic Ventilation
Roofing and attic ventilation refers to the way air and moisture enter or leave a home. One of the natural types of ventilation systems is where air flows through windows and cracks and around door frames. The other is a homes mechanical ventilation system. These feature carefully placed vents, fans and ducts that provide consistent, controlled air movement.
Roofing and attic ventilation systems are designed to work year-round to balance the intake of cool air and the outflow of warm air in the home. No matter what month it is, hot air will accumulate in the attic at the peak of the roof.
- In summer and warmer months, outside temperatures intensify the effects of this heated air. Without proper venting, this can lead to overloaded air conditioners, poor indoor air quality and can eventually cause shingles to fail, resulting in roof leaks.
- In winter and cooler months, heated air mixes with water vapor from everyday activities such as bathing. This warm, moist air can linger in the attic, causing mold, mildew, damage to roofing studs and even ice dams when outside temperatures drop.
How To Check If Your Roof Is Ventilated Enough
The easiest method is to get in your attic. Is it the same temperature as the outside? If yes, then your roof almost certainly ventilates as well as it could.
Sometimes people use their attic, or they think it should have similar temperature to the inside of the house . But really the idea is to treat the attic like its an outdoor open-air structure. The insulation along the bottom of the attic along with the vapor barrier along plywood between the living space and attic is the true barrier between the envelope of the inside to the outside.
This helps put into perspective that the roof exists to stop the elements and solar damage. The attic exists as a byproduct of that effect. Youre not meant to use it, because then you can create moisture and air travel that can damage wood components of the house .
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How Many Vents Are Needed On A Roof
How Many Vents Do I Need? The general rule of thumb in these situations is of roughly one vent per every 300 square feet of attic area if the attic has a vapor barrier. If not, there should be one vent for every 150 square feet. You will need to have 1 square foot of vent area for every 150 square feet of attic space.
How Much Are Roof Vents
Roof vent installation can cost in between $300-800 including materials and labor costs. But of course, the definite cost of the roof vent still depends on the type, number of units needed and the size of the roof vent to be installed.
Just to give a specific figure, an average ridge vent can cost in between $300-650. Solar powered on the other hand would cost $200-800 while hardwired power roof vents would be at $100-700 and cupola exhaust vents would be at $100-550.
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Roof Types And How They Affect Ventilation
The type of roof you have will determine the minimum standards to comply with, for example with regard to ventilation. Does your roof have a particular design or shape? If so, this should be taken into account, because a ventilation problem in the attic could speed up wear and tear of the roof. In addition, its vital that you determine the slope of your roof, which is important in several respects:
First, asphalt shingles are used on slopes of at least 1:3 or 412 .How do you calculate this? A slope of 412 means 4 inches of height for every 12 inches of length .
Second, the installation and materials used must be compatible with the gradient of the roof. A shingle roof covering will remain waterproof only under certain conditions.
Third, to ensure adequate airflow, the total area of ventilation openings required will depend on the type of roof. Except for special cases, the ratio of ventilation openings to insulated ceiling surface should be at least 1:300. In other words, there should be at least one square foot of ventilation openings for every 300 ft2 of insulated ceiling .
Paths To Good Venting
For intake air, soffit vents are best. Air can passively exit through ridge vents or hood vents. Turbine vents harness the wind to suck air out of the attic. Electric-powered vents are the ultimate air movers but arent necessary in most situations. Gable vents can help by allowing air in or out, but they dont usually help the air flow evenly throughout the attic.
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How Many Roof Vents Do I Need
Across most residential building codes in the USA requires a minimum of 1 square foot of ventilation for every 300 square feet of attic. That being 1:300 with a vapor barrier, this is reduced to 1:150 if there is no vapor barrier present.
This calculation may vary depending on which state you reside in you should check with a roofing professional in your area to make extra sure that your home is up to par with building regulations.
If you are trying to cover ventilation for 1500 square feet of attic, you would need at least 5 square feet of ventilation. Roofing ventilation must be split 50% intake and 50% exhaust to be effective at reducing moisture.
Why Is Attic Ventilation Important To Your Roof And Home
Now you know the most common types of roof vents. Which roof vent you choose depends on the look you want and the ventilation system.
No matter what kind of roof vent you want, the most important thing is that your attic is properly ventilated. If its not, it will lead to a multitude of costly problems and headaches in the future.
Thats why its crucial to know why proper attic ventilation is important to not only your roof but also your home. Because its so important, we already broke it down for you.
Since 1990, the team at Bill Ragan Roofing has helped homeowners in the Nashville area with everything roofing, including something as important as attic ventilation. Thats why one of the first things we check for during an inspection is proper ventilation.
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Intake Vents Vs Exhaust Vents
Correctly balanced ventilation systems use the right combination and placement of intake and exhaust vents. They continually transform the hot and sometimes moist air in an attic into a uniform layer of drier, cooler air all year round. The two roof ventilation options, intake vents and exhaust vents, should be placed to take advantage of the natural increased speed of air circulation. This occurs through the rising of warm air and the falling of cooler air.
- Intake vents, such as soffits, are placed lower on the roof, usually under the eaves.
- Exhaust vents like attic fans, ridge vents are primarily placed at the very top of the roof or the highest pitch where hot air gathers.
Multiple types of vents can work together to create an equal inflow of cool air and outflow of hot air in your house. For example, ridge vents and gable vents function as both intake and exhaust vents. Make sure your home has a balanced roof venting system to increase your homes livability, reduce your energy costs, make your roof last longer and cut down on costly repairs.
Tip: For proper roof ventilation, roughly every 300-feet of attic space should be vented.
How Many Roof Vents Should A House Have
How Many Vents Do I Need? The general rule of thumb in these situations is of roughly one vent per every 300 square feet of attic area if the attic has a vapor barrier. If not, there should be one vent for every 150 square feet. You will need to have 1 square foot of vent area for every 150 square feet of attic space.
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Why Does A Roof Need Vents
Roof vents come in different shapes and sizes, but they all have one specific and major function: to prevent the attic from overheating.
On a hot day, the outdoor temperature will affect the temperature in your attic. You want that attic temperature to be at least level with the outdoor heat. The problem is that the attic traps heat so that the roof becomes hotter than its surroundings. When this happens, issues start to develop.
The shingles are exposed to the heat of the sun, so if they are also being pummeled by heat from underneath which is what happens when the attic is superheating they receive double the punishment. The heat from the attic bakes the shingles, making them brittle and more prone to damage. It also affects the sheathing and other components of the roof, causing them to warp and to lose adhesion and integrity. Pretty soon, youll need a roof replacement.
Humidity is also a problem when the attic is superheating. During winter, when your home is artificially heated, humidity builds up in your hot attic. As there is nowhere for the humidity to go, it comes into contact with the attics surfaces and forms condensation. This moisture will find its way everywhere in the attic, causing all sorts of problems, from rot to rusting to mold growth.
Water is also bad for your attic insulation as it causes the insulation to clump, rendering it useless. If all the insulation clumps, your home has absolutely no protection from the attic heat.
Correct Hinge Type For Replacement Roof Vent
Question:
The metal repl. dome has different hinges and will not work on my trailer. Need 1/2 open type instead of closed round hinge. Need help/advise
asked by: H. H
Expert Reply:
There are three types of hinges for replacement roof vents: 3 point, 4 point, and continuous. Replacement has a closed round hinge, which is continuous. It sounds like you need either a continuous hinge that is not closed such as Replacement Dome Assembly or a 4 point hinge such as Replacement Lid.I have added a link for you to our page with each of the replacement vents available.
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Contact Elevated Roofing About Your Roof Ventilation System
We are proud of our reputation as a leader in the residential roofing industry by ensuring each and every client receives the highest level of customer service and workmanship possible. We are happy to provide you with a free, no-obligation roof assessment to determine if there are any issues with your ventilation system. Give us a call at or contact us online.
What Are The Pipes Sticking Out Of My Roof
Sunday, September 30, 2018
All the plumbing fixtures in your home need air supplied to the drain pipes for the liquid to flow properly, and the pipes poking through the roof are there to provide it. Every home is required to have at least one plumbing vent above the roof, and most have several.
To understand why air supply is is so important, think of opening a 2-liter bottle of soda pop and turning the bottle completely upside-down to pour. It will drain slowly, and make a gurgling sound as air bubbles fight their way up to the top of bottle to displace the falling liquid. But, when you turn the bottle horizontally and allow some space above the stream of soda for air to enter the bottle, it flows smoothly. The same principle applies to a homes plumbing system, with a poorly vented or unvented drain making similar gurgling, slurping noises.
As the liquid drains out of a plumbing fixture, it flows through a U-shaped pipe loopcalled a P-trapthat holds a reservoir of liquid that acts as a plug to keep any sewer gases from rising out of the drain. The vent is always located behind the P-trap, which allows the P-trap reservoir to remain intact because air is not sucked through it for drainage.
Some roofers tie aluminum around the the lead boot for protection from squirrels, and we know homeowners that surround them in chicken-wire. But the most elegant solution is the one shown at the top of the page, which we are seeing more often now on new roofs in our area.
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Intake Bring That Fresh Air In
Hot air leaving your attic is important for your homes health and roofs longevity, but hot air is generally pretty stubborn! It doesnt want to leave without being forced out, so we need something to act as a bouncer. Enter: cooler air.
Cool, fresh air is the other half of a great venting strategy. The cooler air comes into your attic space via intake vents that are placed lower on the roof line than the exhaust vents mentioned above. Because the cooler air enters underneath the hot air , the intake ventilation will help push the stubborn hot air out of the attic space. The cool air, by way of intake style vents acts as our bouncer.
As long as you have exhaust vents with a large enough surface area, then this cooler intake air will help thrust the hot air out of the home. In a perfect world, its all a complete cycle
Cool air in through the intake vents and hot air out through the exhaust!
What Are The Different Pipes On My Roof
Those pipes are plumbing vents. It makes sure that the plumbing works properly and keeps the methane gas out of the home. This is on all homes as it helps in preventing back ups, clogs, and sewer smells from entering the home.
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Exhaust Let That Stale Air Out
According to West Texas A& M University, Physics Professor Christoper Baird, heat does not rise, hot air rises. For the purposes of venting your attic space, this is valuable because it is the hot air, which contains moisture, that you want to get out of your attic space.
If the hot air is allowed to stagnant, it can lead to bad-smelling mildew and eventually mold. This is one of key reasons why ventilation is important to your homes health, as mentioned above.
Because hot air rises, exhaust-style vents are generally placed towards to top of your roof line. The most common exhaust vent used for modern roofing systems is the ridge vent. At Roof Hub, we install a ridge vent for every single new roof unless the homes style does not allow for it.
Remember: ridge vents and other exhausts like them allow that hot, humid, moist stale air to exit your home but are only one half of any great venting strategy!
Passive Attic Ventilation System
Passive ventilation works by letting the air in the attic be moved around by natural sources. Unlike active ventilation, this system doesnt rely on the vents themselves to ensure the trapped air is able to escape.
Passive ventilation relies on wind or convection to move the air in your attic around properly. The common types of passive roof vents are static, ridge vents without a baffle, and gable end vents. These vents have no moving parts, create no noise, and are virtually maintenance-free.
Static vents
Static vents look like little boxes on your roof.
They work by allowing the heat to escape out of the roof through the convection method.
This means as the heat in your attic rises, the hot air is pushed out through the vents. You might also hear static vents called turtle vents or box vents.
Ridge vents without a baffle
Like the active version of this type of roof vent, its cut into the ridge and runs the entire length of the ridge.
The only difference is that theres no baffle . The problem with ridge vents without a baffle is that it allows debris, rain, snow, insects, etc. to enter your attic.
Gable end vents
A gable end vent is a wooden vent installed on the exterior wall of your attic below where the 2 slopes of your roof meet. This vent relies on the wind coming from the outside to move the air in and out of your attic.
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How The Plumbing Vent Works
The plumbing vent is a pipe that runs vertically up through the walls of the home and out the roof. Connecting the drainage pipe of the plumbing system in the home, the pipe leaves the home and leads to the sewage pipe. The sewage pipe then connects to a septic tank or the public sewer system. This will depend if you have septic or sewer.
The purpose of the vent is to allow air to enter the drainage system. This then keeps the pressure even and allows the wastewater to flow out. The roof vent pipe helps regulate the pressure in the drainpipes and this allows wastewater from the home to flow out into the sewer. In the end, it eliminates the risk of methane gas from finding its way back into your home.
