How To Ventilate Your Attic

To avoid rotting wood clumping insulation and mold your attic needs to be properly ventilated.

How to ventilate your attic.

This means for every 150 square feet of attic floor space there should be 1 square foot of net free area. Begin by making sure your existing system works photos 1 and 3 plugging major air leaks into the attic photo 2 and correcting any other of the common causes of poor attic venting. If those steps don t solve the problem add more soffit vents following the. Exhaust vents which are located near or on the ridge line of the roof and allow air to leave the attic.

In the winter warm moist air seeps into the attic from the living space below. Intake vents which are located at the down slope edge of the roof aka eaves and allow fresh air into the attic. Your actual living space is sealed and insulated at the attic floor the attic is outside this envelope. 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.

To properly ventilate an attic two types of vents are needed. However if your attic has blocked soffit vents and is not well sealed from the rest of the house attic fans will suck cool conditioned air up out of the house and into the. Ensuring your home has the proper attic ventilation according to these guidelines however can save yourself the stress and hassle of an emergency roof repair. How to properly ventilate your attic.

Of net free area for every 150 sq. Just like properly sizing your furnace and air conditioning unit you want precisely the right amount of attic ventilation for your home. Good ventilation allows the heat and moisture to escape. Of attic floor space.

Insufficient ventilation can lead to moisture problems during the winter and decreased energy efficiency during the summer but too much ventilation can be just as bad if not worse. If there are asphalt shingles on your roof the attic must be ventilated to comply with the terms of the manufacturer s warranty. That cuts cooling costs and prolongs shingle life. Don t avoid ventilating your attic for fear you re letting cold air into the house.

How to check attic ventilation. How attic ventilation works. If you have either ice dams or moisture buildup improve your attic ventilation. The code minimum for attic ventilation in the 2012 irc section r806 roof ventilation 1 is as follows.

Ventilation of attic spaces is required by most building codes as well as by roofing material manufacturers and the national roofing contractors association nrca. Ventilation can be accomplished using various products and techniques. Before we explore how to ventilate an attic space it is prudent to understand how much ventilation is needed. Moreover if you have asphalt shingles on the roof attic.