Roof Venting 101

Ridge vents are installed along the roof line and soffit vents are installed under the eaves.

Roof venting 101. Advantages of proper roofing ventilation. Proper attic area ventilation is an important performance consideration for a home or building with a steep slope roof. There are several different types of attic ventilation. In a cold climate the primary purpose of ventilation is to maintain a cold roof temperature to avoid ice dams created by melting snow and to vent any moisture that moves from the conditioned living space to the attic.

This type of ventilation is basically a ridge vent with a built in electrical fan that can speed. If a fixture is close to the stack and on the top floor the upper part of the stack serves nicely as a vent. Roof venting 101 vent the attic space to ensure that a vented attic performs at its best you need to get the details right. Vent the attic space learn how proper attic area ventilation is an important performance consideration for a home or building with a steep slope roof.

In winter heat from your home warms attic air. Although there are many different types of roof vents to choose from ensuring you have the right number of both intake and exhaust vents is a central part of roof design. A true vent is a vertical pipe attached to a drain line that travels through the roof with no water running through it. Roof ventilation is based on the simple fact that warm air rises.

Entire attic or if you re venting only the roof deck. Attic ventilation 101 november 1 2019 many may not realize that residential attic ventilation was a requirement in the very first edition of the building officials conference of america s boca s model building code published in 1948. The goal of roof ventilation is to get fresh relatively cool air into the attic and vent out hot moist air. The intent of roof venting varies depending on climate but it is the same if you re venting the entire attic or if you re venting only the roof deck.

The true vent a re vent pipe the common vent and the loop vent. Here are five rules that are critical to the success of this simple roof design. In summer the sun heats air in the attic. In either season good venting occurs when cool air can enter the attic near the eaves and exit near the peak.

And since hot air rises and is exactly what you want to vent out of your attic exhaust vents should always be installed at or near the top of the roof. Many fixtures are not so conveniently located however and other solutions must be found. The installation of roof vents is a crucial part of roof design because it allows for proper attic ventilation which may help prevent condensation and early aging of your roofing materials.