Ventilation

Without the right attic ventilation, your home can become uncomfortable and cost more to cool or heat. Plus, home ventilation can protect spaces from expensive roof and structural damage caused by trapped heat, ice dams, moisture and mold. 

A home’s ventilation system can include everything from roof vents, louver vents and attic fans to soffit vents, siding vents and crawl space vents. 

How Ventilation Works

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 home’s mechanical ventilation system. These feature carefully placed vents, fans and ducts that provide consistent, controlled air movement.

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 season it is, hot air will accumulate in the attic at the peak of your roof. 

In summer and warmer months, outside temperatures intensify the effects of this heated air. Without proper venting, this can lead to over worked air conditioners, poor indoor air quality and can eventually cause shingles to fail, which can lead to 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.

Multiple types of vents can work together to create an equal inflow of cool air and outflow of hot air in your house. Make sure your home has a balanced roof venting system to increase your home’s livability, reduce your energy costs, make your roof last longer and cut down on costly repairs.

Intake & Exhaust Vents 

Proper attic ventilation is a two-part system consisting of intake vents and exhaust vents. As a helpful hint for proper roof ventilation, roughly every 300-feet of attic space should be vented. 

Intake vents help exhaust vents reduce attic heat more effectively. They also control energy costs and extend the life of your roof by preventing ice dams. Intake vents draw cooler outside air into the home. As cooler air comes in, it forces the warmer air to keep rising up and out. Intake vents should be equally distributed around the house to keep low- and high-pressure areas in balance. Intake vents, such as soffits, are typically placed lower on the roof, usually under the eaves.

Exhaust vents like attic fans and ridge vents are primarily installed at the top of the roof or the highest pitch where hot air gathers. Their primary job is to provide an unobstructed exit for the heat, hot air, odors and moisture trapped in your attic. Without exhaust vents, this hot air and water vapor can lead to inferior indoor air quality and cause all kinds of problems, from peeling paint to roof damage.

Other vents for the home include gable vents and louvers. These vents are typically installed at the gable wall of the home and can be used to provide either intake or exhaust airflow. In addition to vents, we carry a wide selection of exhaust fans and solar powered attic fans for your roofing ventilation needs. One of the benefits of solar powered attic fans is that they require less electricity to run. 

We Can Help You

Whether you’re a homeowner with a roof problem or a seasoned pro looking for the parts and tools to get the job done right, we have your roofing ventilation needs covered. 

If you need some assistance, our Types of Ventilation buying guide can help you make the right decisions when considering your roofing and HVAC options.