How to Properly Vent Your Attic

How to Properly Vent your Attic

Make sure you properly vent your attic. A home that could be very uncomfortable to live in must be poorly ventilated. Generally, the trapped hot air in the attic can defeat your best efforts of air conditioning your home. The best solution is to vent your attic and your entire home and you will feel cooler most especially in hotter seasons. Moderately easy, venting an attic would require planning and preparation.

The simple procedures

1. Purchase aluminum vents from your local supplier according to your planned number of vents to install. The standard aluminum vents for roofs are 10 foot vents.

2. Pry or force open the cap shingles on your roof. Lift the corners of each shingle and remove the nails by using a utility knife.

3. Once the cap shingles are removed, cut through the shingles and felt using a power saw. Be careful. Always cut from the outside of the attic to avoid any falling debris hitting you.

4. Then you can now position your 10-foot aluminum vent on the slot that you have cut. Always make sure that your vent fits tightly so that no gaps are visible between the roof and the vents. Vents however can vary according to size, and depends on the size of your roof.

5. You can use the press-in connector plugs in snapping the vents in place. Secure the vents to the roof by using nails.

The Benefits

We all understand why attic ventilation is necessary. Aside from cooling the home, to prevent the occurrence of problems associated with excess moisture.

Excess Moisture Problems

Without proper ventilation, your attic can develop those moisture problems. Typically, warm air rises within your house to the attic and is trapped because roofing materials are now designed to prevent moisture from escaping. In due time, excess moisture in the attic will eventually lead to condensation, peeling and blistering paint and then wood rot. Eventually the growth of mold and mildew will follow that will lead to the development of musty odors and the infestation of insects. Prevent this by installing proper attic ventilation in your homes.

There are Three Vent Types

There are three classifications for attic vents. The turbines, power vents, and the gravity attic vents. The turbines and power vents are not designed and applicable for northern climates. In California, the gravity attic vents are mostly or commonly used. There are four types of gravity vents. The eave type which is also known as soffit, the gable, the roof type and the continuous ridge, are available in your local supplier. You can ask assistance from specialist in your local store which is the most applicable type for your home.

Vent Placement and Application

The vents must be uniformly distributed along the roof and divided between high and low. The combination of inlet vents near the eaves and outlet vents near the ridge is the most effective and efficient ventilation for your attic. This combination allows cool air to enter the eaves while hot air escape through the ridge vents. The standard requirement for attic ventilation is; for every 150 square feet of unobstructed attic ventilation area, you need a 1 square foot vent.

Additional Consideration

While ventilation is only a part of controlling moisture in the attic, an exhaust fan may be necessary to help force ventilation. Exhaust fans on the other hand are determined by its capacity to move the number of cubic feet of air per minute (CFM). Now, to determine your required exhaust fan, multiply the cubic feet of the attic by 7 and divide by 60.

Some other humidity control and reducing measures are calculated to consider such other moisture generating activities including; cooking without lids and taking long showers. There are calculations that also consider repairing external water problems, roof leaks, and installing insulation in your homes. Make sure you properly vent your attic.