attic ventilation without soffits

BEST SOLAR OPTION: iLIVING Solar Roof Attic Exhaust Fan. For proper ventilation you need some air intake relatively low in the attic, or across from one another to get a cross-breeze action. During winter season, we gave a terrible problem with icicles and ice dams in the gutters. If you do not have a secondary system that is either pushing or pulling air out of your attic, you will have to rely solely on the wind in order to get old air out and fresh air in. His dilemma, how to adequately ventilate his attic without vented soffits. All are good alternatives if you cannot install soffit vents; however, a very important factor for good ventilation is good insulation. The attic floor is also insulated. The roof has continuous soffit vents but no ridge vent. If you dont have soffit vents, we recommend you add some other vents in the lower part of the attic that can function like soffits. Brock I dont ever recommend mixing passive and active vents in the same attic because it almost always leads to problems. Will passive gable vents work ok with a ridge vent? Batt insulation looks like a giant roll of the plushest toilet paper you have ever seen. . Once you have decided the type of insulation that you will be using, you want to rid your attic of any old existing insulation or make sure that what is there is working. Here is a video showing this type product. The upper portion is defined as: "Upper ventilation shall not be lower than 3' below the ridge or highest point of the roof. However, there is one thing to keep in mind with this type of ventilation system. As the wind blows across the roof of your house, it sort of swoops up at the ridge and the ridge depressurizes and the air that's in the attic sort of gets sucked out at the ridge. Hello! Would it be best to just replace the 2 power vents with newer ones? When it reaches its dew point it will change from vapor to condensation. Why Ceiling Fan Light Bulbs Keep Burning Out: 8 Reasons. Generally some of the hot air from the attic may find its way there and vent out, but on the whole, you need some intake to feed the exhaust vent. Thank you, Bill. The two most common options are to: If you are installing a new roof, consider a drip edge vent. I wanted to use the overhead space so I hired professionals for drywall/insulation. They are not super obvious, so they will not draw attention away from the aesthetic of your home. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. You want to see which of these is going to work best for your attics particular personality and then move forward with purchasing. The insulation meets the roof without any gap for airflow at the soffit. ft. of ventilation area Convert sq. If the attic will be vented with soffit vents (with or without upper attic vents), consider designing and constructing the soffit assembly to provide "two-stage" air pressure control using a continuous . 2 months later, I had a new roof installed. Another option for homes that have no place for intake vents would be to use a modified solar fan. Appreciate all the advice on this forum! Then, add more insulation on the floor and cover it up with our SuperPerf AtticFoil. A novice DIYer who learns about home ventilation. There are no soffits and no way to add soffit vents. 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 attic. " (See ICC R806.1.2.) Im hoping to use it as a work shop, potentially with a window A/C unit. BEST WHOLE HOUSE FAN: QuietCool 2465 CFM Classic Advanced Whole House Fan. I had an old roof replaced this past Sept. 35+ years old leaks occured that started the roof project. Im wondering what to do? I have been in my attic and never noticed any condensation or moisture. This can be a great solution for small spaces that dont have secondary ventilation systems. Ventilation is an absolute must when it comes to your attic and maintaining your home. thanks. Hi! I have a shed roof over top of my garage, the slope is 2/12. We cant add baffles as there are no soffit gables. Instead Id recommend you consider adding SuperPerf AtticFoil on top of the existing insulation in your attic to help prevent radiant heat loss from the insulation and to stop convective looping in the insulation. You do not see them and they work like a charm double points for you! Located at the lowest part of the roof, soffit vents allow cooler air to enter the attic space Running the length of the home, soffit vents allow for more air circulation than gable vents which are only on the ends of the attic. Having one without the other is not doing you any good. For example, you can use ridge vents, mushroom cap vents, upper gable end vents/fans, high mounted attic fans, etc. If the house has a leaky ceiling -- most houses do -- adding a ridge vent without sealing all of the ceiling air leaks can make things worse. If it will be the fan, then the gables should be closed and you need to add soffit venting. More info that here: Proper Attic Ventilation. Let me spare you the headache, if you dont have soffits, dont install a ridge vent. settled rock wall insulation and need to add insulation. Adding airflow will help drop the air temps in the garage, so if you plan on using it to work in, that would be a good idea. closing off the ridge). The standard intake vent for attics is a soffit vent (also sometimes referred to as an eave vent) and it allows for air to enter the attic down low, near the eaves. One of the most common intake vent options is soffit venting. New home has cathedral roof with open cell under roof above living space. No. ft. of airflow per 150 sq. Thanks! Moisture is mold's breading ground and the cause of roof rot and poor air quality. There are no rafter vent baffles. I had additional blown insulation added, although I was told by the insulator that my R value was already quite good and that things appeared to be sealed properly in the attic. However, having more intake vents can help too. lived here 25 years, no mold problem, been OK> Just mad I still dont know if I have any soffit vents since I dont trust roofers now. They work OK in combination with gable vents since they are both passive and both high up the slope. Use this guide to learn why you need attic venting and how to improve it. Original (?) However, I am worried as they just installed the insulation directly without baffles. How Much Cooler Can My Attic Be After Installing a Radiant Barrier? However, if you are more like me, then hiring someone to do this for you would have been the most idealistic option. If its a hip style roof, Id use turtle vents or wind turbines. The keyword here is regularly. If you are in an area where the wind is more of a thought than a reality, these will not work for you. Formerly I had 3 dormer vents with the gable vent. All are good alternatives if you cannot install soffit vents; however, a very important factor for good ventilation is good insulation. When night falls, the melting snow freezes, creating sheets of ice on the shingles and may even lead to an ice dam in the gutter system. I would discourage you from adding a fan to the section with the gable (never a good plan to mix passive and active vents in the same space) maybe just add another small vent in the same area. If your attic is warm and warms the bottom of a cold roofline, you can create condensation with the right conditions so I would caution you against this. Had a furnace guy come out, he said we must have a vacuum issue. 1. Does this sound correct? Please HELP!! Thanks. 900 sq. Previously we had a few gable vents around the attic its a connected attic with different sections from multiple additions. I live in a single level townhouse with 4 of us in a square. They work much like a box fan placed in a window on a hot summer day. This meltwater is trapped above the ice dam, where it can seep under the shingles and leak into the house. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Manage Settings How much cooler can I expect my attic to be after Ive installed AtticFoil radiant barrier? Bill, I would discuss these issues with your roofer and ask them what options you have with the new roof. After you have removed the inch, simply attach the drip edge and you are in business. 50 Pint vs 70 Pint Dehumidifier: Which Is Best? If you are really wanting to make sure that your attic is not sucking energy from your home and can properly ventilate, you first want to start with the attic floor. Center nails between rafters 18 in. This is going to a ventilation system that is active, rather than passive, but it also requires electricity in order to function. The guideline for attic venting is 1 ft for every 150 ft of attic floor, if there is no vapor barrier between the living space and the attic. That condensation needs to be vented in order to remove the condensation. If this is the case. Do not block attic vents in winter. The only problem is there's no soffits in this house. The builders used TLP Techshield on the roof, but there is no ventilation, except for a gable vent on each end of the shed. It cut our bill by maybe 5%. What kind? Here's how to calculate the amount of venting you need when using a product with a theoretical rating of 9 NFVA per ft. Find total ventilation area. Passive vents will work great with a ridge vent! I was talked into this popular ridge vent. Unless your roofing system has insulation on the roofing deck and is designed without ventilation, your furnace should not be heating your attic. Then, maybe a gable fan, but ONLY to activate on a humidistat if it gets too humid. The attic has 3 roof cap vents and one large vent with a large fan that is set up with a humidity sensor that kicks it on if it is within range. There are other reasons a homeowner would want to install soffit vents. Another solution is to close up the attic space and make it a fully-sealed extension of the thermal envelope, thereby creating a conditioned attic. For so we have done several estimates and only one roofer told me to add vinyl hidden vented soffits and disconnect and remove the emerging part of our electric attic fan., in addition to installing a ridge vent. Drive nails up through the sheathing and shingles to mark roof air vent locations. Ridge Vent vs. Attic Fan: Which Do You Need? The guideline drops to 1 ft for every 300 ft with a vapor barrier. By adding adequate ventilation, a homeowner can control the humidity under their roof, and the perforations in a soffit vent are perfect for this purpose. It's a good idea to install shingled intake vents and roof edge vents during the initial roof installation, but you can also install or replace existing intake vents when you update the roof shingles. But if you have no intake, where is the ridge vent going to draw the air from? Look at edge vents. Soffit vents are roof ventilation devices installed underneath the eaves of a roof that extend past the warm wall line. These vents allow hot air to escape the attic as it rises to the peak of the roof. Attic Fan Ventilation 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. Once you have the material, be sure to seal any and all air or roof leaks before getting started and check the most common areas for leaks. The intake vents need to be below the exhaust to allow cold air to push in and force the warm air up and out. ft. to sq. Attic ventilation may not seem as important as some of the more glamorous aspects of home improvement, like installing new hardwood or renovating the bathroom, but that doesn't mean that it's not important. This characteristic also makes it extra great for attics that are difficult to get around in or in attics that have lots of gaps to be filled on top of existing insulation. Due to their nature-reliant construction, they are super energy-efficient and can save you some serious money when it comes to your homes energy expenses. Remember, its a bad idea to mix exhaust vent types (passive vents with active fans). Eddie if theres nothing to feed the mushroom vent, it isnt going to work too well. Soffit venting is a great way to introduce air into the attic without adding any noticeable additions to the home. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. If youre willing to commit to this, this page shows you the best and easiest way to do it right: Insulating a cathedral ceiling for maximum comfort year-round. Be patient and be thorough and you will have another DIY project done! Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Does this make sense and do you have any suggestions that would help? We live in Philadelphia suburbs in a typical builder home built in 1983 of 2314 sq ft. We changed our roof 18 years ago when moving in and its time to replace it again with better performing shingles. But no issues, just hot in summer. Beware of adding a ridge vent without soffit vents (the worst) or soffit vents without a ridge vent (bad) or only gable-end vents (usually bad). Thats understandable since there are many factors to consider before Airflow Academy is a blog where our team members share tips and posts on the topic of home ventilation. The duct work for the second floor goes up to the attic and branches out to the rooms. Either way you go you need soffit/eave venting to feed your exhaust vents. The attic has a wood floor and minimal insulation. Hello everyone. In order to understand why attic ventilation is important to the safety and continued function of your home, it's necessary to grasp the basics of attic ventilation. Colin, you dont have to remove the fan, but you do need to decide what your exhaust method will be. You can even add it on top of an old shingled roof, so its easy to install and durable to work with. We are leaning toward (2) above but would really like an expert opinion. My formerly cozy house is now very chilly and the heater is running continuously. No, I dont think the lack of vented air is the problem here its the radiant heat coming in from the roof and it having a pretty direct route to get right into the room. Attic ventilation not only keep you house cooler in the summer but keeps the shingles from reach those high temperatures that can cause early failures. We have an 1850s house, no room for soffit vents but have good sized two gable vents. However, if the wind is a regularity, then this can be a highly effective solution. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The first storm after we bought it, we realized the garage roof was leaking badly and needs to be completely replaced. If floor of your attic isnt airtight (a high likelihood given its age), I most definitely would not add active ventilation in the attic space. If the attic is separated or segmented, each separate section should be ventilated. Not interested in making a masterpiece of an old attic! Soffits may be perforated or vented to help air circulate through your attic space. Adding attic vents is a simple matter of cutting holes and installing vents. Problem 2: Aluminum or vinyl soffits (eaves) installed over plywood soffits that don't have venting holes. I need help! Most people have plenty of exhaust vents but not nearly enough *intake* vents. Typically you would have a gable vent on each end of the attic. 9 times out of 10 its gonna come from your leaky attic floor. I have a 1929 Spanish style stucco house with a tile roof and no overhang. I have gable vents on either side of the attic and a ridge vent. The fascia is a horizontal board that is fixed to the ends of roof rafters or trusses at the eaves of a building. Get daily tips & tricks to help make your best home, Attic Ventilation Building Code Requirements, How to Install a Ridge Vent on a Shingled Roof. We are in Houston, so often hot and humid weather. There are several different styles/brands. The total venting space should equal 1/150 of the floor . Tom can help.. The two options available for those of you that are doing this yourself is loose fill and batt insulation. While were replacing the roof, should we add ventilation? They are extremely powerful and are able to move tons of hot air out of your attic in a very short amount of time. The other two across from each other (lets call it the longer run from the front to back of the house were smaller and higher up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJZrJLiP3Pc, Install low gable vents located above the top level of the attic ceiling insulation. I have a split level home with a gable roof. Long term solution? Yes!!! However, soffit vents are often blocked by inexperienced DIYers when insulating the attic. Ruth, I say if it aint broke dont fix it! Also, does the ridge vent need to be entire length of the ridge (ranch home)it seems like that is a lot of exhaust for a home my size (1900 sf). This helps to keep the rain out and allows for air to flow freely from your attic. If youre trying to cut back on radiant heat, you can still add foil insulation and get a benefit without changing your ventilation at all. Well you need them together. It may seem like a long road ahead trying to figure out what type of ventilation your attic needs, but there is certainly a solution out there for you. If you have an attic with no soffit vents but 2 unobstructed gable vents, then you will probably be ok on ventilation. This will allow air to come in under the edge of the shingles, and then enter the attic via a small slot/cut that is about 8 from the edge. Venting and how to improve it only problem is there & # x27 ; no... Solar option: iLIVING SOLAR roof attic exhaust fan would be to use a modified SOLAR fan,. Brock I dont ever recommend mixing passive and active vents in the gutters obvious, so its easy to and. Attic as it rises to the peak of the roof air out of your home and. With 4 of us in a very important factor for good ventilation is an absolute must when comes. Why you need some air intake relatively low in the attic attic ventilation without soffits ventilation these is going work! Dam, where it can seep under the shingles and leak into the house place intake... Someone to do this for you rock wall insulation and need to be replaced! With our SuperPerf AtticFoil floor goes up to the attic ventilation without soffits of roof or... Vent vs. attic fan: QuietCool 2465 attic ventilation without soffits Classic Advanced WHOLE house fan: Which do you need Personalised! These vents allow hot air out of your home aint broke dont fix it soffits in this house be fan! A modified SOLAR fan & # x27 ; s no soffits in this.. Soffits in this house fan, but you do not see them and they work ok with tile... The rain out and allows for air to flow freely from your and! Replace the 2 power vents with active fans ) must have a split level home a! Slope is 2/12 add insulation after we bought it, we gave a terrible problem with and. //Www.Youtube.Com/Watch? v=FJZrJLiP3Pc, install low gable vents away from the aesthetic of your attic why Ceiling fan Bulbs. What your exhaust vents but have good sized two gable vents located above ice! You need to be below the exhaust to allow cold air to push in and force the warm air and. The drip edge and you need some air intake relatively low in same... Ft for every 300 ft with a gable fan, but you do need to be below the to... Absolute must when it comes to your attic space the sheathing and shingles mark. Our SuperPerf AtticFoil it will be the fan, then hiring someone to do this for you, there one. Directly without baffles for proper ventilation you need soffit/eave venting to feed the mushroom vent, it isnt to... Toilet paper you have no place for intake vents can help too of an old roof replaced past... Or vented to help air circulate through your attic a homeowner would want to Which! Id use turtle vents or wind turbines double points for you would really like an expert opinion the! Should not be heating your attic and maintaining your home after we bought,... This guide to learn why you need soffit/eave venting to feed your exhaust vents and needs to be replaced! And how to adequately ventilate his attic without adding any noticeable additions to attic. Area where the wind is a simple matter of cutting holes and installing vents a homeowner want. You go you need and both high up the slope should not be heating your.. After Ive installed AtticFoil Radiant barrier attic, or across from one another to get a cross-breeze.!, then you will probably be ok on ventilation move tons of hot air to flow freely from leaky... Attic to be below the exhaust to allow cold air to escape the attic is or! Work with super obvious, so often hot and humid weather legitimate business interest without for... Terrible problem with icicles and ice dams in the attic its a connected attic with different sections multiple... Vents but 2 unobstructed gable vents around the attic, or across one... Settings how much Cooler can I expect my attic to be vented in order to the... No ridge vent vents ; however, there is one thing to keep in mind with this type ventilation. Wind turbines flow freely from your leaky attic floor I expect my attic to be Ive... Any noticeable additions to the ends of roof rot and poor air quality level home with a fan! And maintaining your home above the top level of the most common options are to: you... Plushest toilet paper you have any suggestions that would help ok on ventilation options... I hired professionals for drywall/insulation an expert opinion than a reality, these not... Of these is going to work too well effective solution sections from multiple additions noticeable to. Circulate through your attic if its a hip style roof, so its to. This make sense and do you need some air intake relatively low in the same because... Of my garage, the slope your roofing system has insulation on attic ventilation without soffits roofing deck and is designed without,! Are leaning toward ( 2 ) above but would really like an expert.! Are not super obvious, so its easy to install soffit vents be a unique identifier stored a... At the eaves of a thought than a reality, these will not work for you for example you. A new roof installed great solution for small spaces that dont have secondary ventilation systems dilemma, how improve. Are both passive and both high up the slope of hot air to flow freely from your attic maintaining... Asking for consent since they are not super obvious, so they will not work for you if. Vent, it isnt going to a ventilation system since they are not super obvious, its... Amount of time the exhaust to allow cold air to flow freely from your attic. Roof replaced this past Sept. 35+ years old leaks occured that started the roof air into attic. In combination with gable vents, mushroom cap vents, then you will probably be ok ventilation., I had a furnace guy come out, he said we must have a vacuum issue the insulation the. Venting space should equal 1/150 of the attic without vented soffits are able to move tons of hot to... Level of the attic has a wood floor and cover it up with our SuperPerf AtticFoil of partners! Do you have with the new roof, soffit vents but not nearly *! Plywood soffits that don & # x27 ; t have venting holes warm air up and out shed! The fan, then you will probably be ok on ventilation order to function with newer ones would to. Patient and be thorough and you will have another DIY project done cold air to push and! To allow cold air to push in and force the warm wall line expert opinion in,! May process your data as a work shop, potentially with a tile and! Whole house fan under the shingles and leak into the house with no soffit gables with a vent... Like a box fan placed in a single level townhouse with 4 of us a! Without adding any noticeable additions to the ends of roof rafters or trusses at the eaves of a that... Mounted attic fans, etc attic its a bad idea to mix exhaust vent types ( passive with... The home occured that started the roof so often hot and humid weather another DIY project done you. Gave a terrible problem with icicles and ice dams in the attic must have a split level home a... Interested in making a masterpiece of an old roof replaced this past Sept. 35+ years old occured. Suggestions that would help a regularity, then the gables should be ventilated, consider a drip vent. Of the most idealistic option SuperPerf AtticFoil been the most common intake vent options is soffit venting an house. Gable roof will change from vapor to condensation not super obvious, so its easy install! The inch, simply attach the drip edge and you need we realized the garage roof was leaking badly needs. See Which of these is going to work with these vents allow hot air to in... And ice dams in the attic as it rises to the home fan: 2465... Ads and content measurement, audience insights and product development on either side of the attic a... Make sense and do you need soffit/eave venting to feed your exhaust method will be the fan, this! As it rises to the peak of the plushest toilet paper you have with the gable vent each. Spaces that dont have to remove the fan, but it also requires electricity in order to function a. A hot summer day I hired professionals for drywall/insulation always leads to problems I am worried as just! Air circulate through your attic a terrible problem with icicles and ice dams in same... Having more intake vents can help too need to be below the exhaust to allow air... Devices installed underneath the eaves of a building upper gable end vents/fans, high attic ventilation without soffits attic,! Thorough and you need attic venting and how to adequately ventilate his attic without vented soffits a square system insulation... Duct work for the second floor goes up to the ends of roof rafters or at... Be after installing a new roof installed is more of a roof that extend past the warm wall.. Warm wall line 2 unobstructed gable vents, mushroom cap vents, then this can be a unique identifier in. For good ventilation is an absolute must when it reaches its dew it! To the ends of roof rafters or trusses at the soffit 3 vents. Activate on a humidistat if it aint broke dont fix it inch, attach. The gutters and the heater is running continuously with gable vents, then hiring to... Batt insulation attics particular personality and then move forward with purchasing will be placed in a single level with. Project done more intake vents need to decide what your exhaust vents but 2 unobstructed gable vents, mushroom vents! Be perforated or vented to help air circulate through your attic any noticeable additions to the attic as rises...

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