Schmatic Of Propery Ventilated Attic

Look at your eaves and roof.

Schmatic of propery ventilated attic.

Proper attic ventilation offers numerous advantages to the homeowner. In the winter warm moist air seeps into the attic from the living space below. Ventilation of attic spaces is required by most building codes as well as by roofing material manufacturers and the national roofing contractors association nrca. An inadequate attic ventilation system can cause a variety of problems that manifest themselves in different ways.

Good ventilation allows the heat and moisture to escape. Improper attic ventilation can lead to higher energy consumption as an air conditioner will have to work harder to maintain a constant indoor temperature on the upper floors. If your attic is not sufficiently vented you probably won t have to look very hard to find signs. Before we explore how to ventilate an attic space it is prudent to understand how much ventilation is needed.

That keeps your attic dry and reduces ice dams. In other words the entire vent opening doesn t count as vented space. Hot air exhaust vents located at the peak of the roof allow hot air to escape. The most common mistake homeowners make when installing insulation is to block the flow of air at the eaves.

Here are some subtle and some not so subtle things to watch out for. It helps prevent moisture buildup in your attic which during colder months can help prevent condensation. They include rafters and ceiling joists that are damp or blackened with mold. Generally speaking you need a ratio of 1 300 where for every 300 square feet of ceiling space you need 1 square foot of attic ventilation.

Never cover attic soffit vents with insulation use rafter vents and soffit vents to maintain airflow. An unexplained uptick in your household heating and cooling bills which can happen if your attic insulation gets wet and loses its effectiveness. That cuts cooling costs and prolongs shingle life. Ventilation can be accomplished using various products and techniques.

In some cases the condensation can be bad enough to be mistaken for a roof leak. As the ventilation helps moderate the temperatures in the attic this may also help moderate the temperature in the. Figure 1 in hot weather proper ventilation prevents the attic from becoming a hot box that spills unwanted heat down through the attic floor into the living area. Condensation that forms inside attics can be caused by washing machines dish washers bath tubs showers etc.

In the summer good attic ventilation reduces heat buildup. Most building codes require a ratio of 1 150 ventilation space to attic floor space. Unless these items are properly ventilated through the roof. That said air resistance and interference such as vent grates reduces the area of true ventilation.