Definitely AIR SEAL the attic floor. We do have a few spots of mold on the ceiling above the door and above one of the windows, but it wipes right off the painted surface. It describes proper roof ventilation placement, amounts, and other details. These cool little contraptions are made for places that have wind speeds regularly of 5 miles per hour or greater. I have gable vents on either side of the attic and a ridge vent. You should have an equal amount of intake and exhaust ventilation, equally about one square foot for every 150 square feet of attic space. After assessing my attic space I noticed I have 5-6 soffit vents at the bottom of the attic however with the way the space was sectioned off between the 4 units I dont have any access to the ridge vent up top. I had an old roof replaced this past Sept. 35+ years old leaks occured that started the roof project. Our current roof can not have soffits. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Intake vents are typically positioned on the lowest parts of the roof, under the eaves, though your home may also have shingled intake vents installed on a lower part of the roof, or even gable vents installed high on the sides of the home. Tom can help.. Gable vents are great, but as far as construction goes, they can be a big undertaking. A ridge vent without soffit vents won't work as intended, and vice versa. Power fans are great if you want to use them every now and then on very hot days or for periods where the humidity is high in your area. Thank you. 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. You can even add it on top of an old shingled roof, so its easy to install and durable to work with. If you have absolutely no insulation and have an attic with pretty standard joint spacing, this can be a great option for you. Send your questions to Tom: http://homeshowradio.com/ask-tom-tynan/ See more AskTom videos: http:. I mean, people have lived in this house for 170 years, no moisture problems. This type of vent also works best when there is another vent that is pulling air from the attic, so use it in tandem with a vent on top of the roof. They may seem like an eye-sore, but modern technology has afforded homeowners some very aesthetically pleasing options that wont distract from the beauty of your home, can blend in with your siding or brick, and work well to keep the attic ventilated. 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. 9 times out of 10 its gonna come from your leaky attic floor. Started smelling fumes in the basement. Thanks! Were thinking of either: 1. significantly lowering the gable vents on either side and maybe making them a bit bigger 2. or installing GAF Cobra edge vents although this makes me nervous, as it means cutting significant slits in the roof and seemingly has to be done just right to work properly and not leak. Move insulation away from the soffit with rafter vent baffles. Although this may be a place of storage for you, it is the first step to stopping air from escaping. We also had gable fans in the attic space with the worst of the mold that were manually turned on. 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. However, there is no daylight through the soffit vents when I look through them from inside the attic (with attic lights off). Intake air is critical to maintaining a proper flow of air throughout the attic space. I ran into an excessive amount of ice damming this year with my property. I had recently got my garage insulated. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. How Much Cooler Can My Attic Be After Installing a Radiant Barrier? Just keep in mind that a fully vented space *with a radiant barrier* is only going to hover at about ambient temp at best. After reading your articles I understand the necessity to install the soffits and probably disconnect the fan but would love to have your opinion . Theeaves stick out about 1.5 feet wide. 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. Soffits may be perforated or vented to help air circulate through your attic space. Install a ridge vent along the roof peak so that the air has somewhere to exit the attic space. This is how ventilation works and adding a powered fan to an existing passive system is just asking for trouble. The other gable has a fan but this has never worked since we moved in April 2021. What is the best way to improve attic ventilation in my gable roof? Appreciate all the advice on this forum! Drive nails up through the sheathing and shingles to mark roof air vent locations. It has low slopemaybe 1/12 or 2/12? Send your questions to Tom: http://homeshowradio.com/ask-tom-tynan/ See more AskTom videos: http:. Ken, You can do this to get some air movement, but it sounds like this may not be enough. Remember, your main goal is to get air moving through the attic by entering the attic space down low near the overhang/eave level and leaving the attic near the peak of the roof. If you notice water dripping from the vents, you can set up a breathable shield to help obstruct driving rain, without blocking the vents. Even if you do not have soffit vents (a highly effective attic ventilation technology), there are plenty of options out there to either passively or actively ventilate your attic and make sure that you keep the structural integrity of your home in check. Our electric bill was cut about 40% the year after vs the year before! Our house is a Garrison Colonial (post WWII style) with NO soffits. Even better, if you live in an area that is prone to lots of snow and ice, these are great options since they are protected by the shingle and are not directly exposed to the elements. ft. of ventilation area at the soffits. Yes!!! 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. 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. Soffit vents come in several sizes and styles, including small round discs and rectangular grilles. There are other reasons a homeowner would want to install soffit vents. Greebo is spot on, you want soffit vents for your air intake. The only air inlet (since no soffit vents) is a couple of gable vents. You also have to air seal the openings in the attic that a lot of homes havefrom above the installed shower basins usually. Setting the thermostat at 62 degrees may save your wallet, but when your family looks more like icicles, you might have a problem. They ended up using batts to insulate my rafters. They are extremely powerful and are able to move tons of hot air out of your attic in a very short amount of time. Options include using a metal screen wire to create a barrier outside the vent, investing in flexible roof sealant to fill any holes or gaps around the vent, and replacing nearby flashing and shingling to prevent rain water from seeping through worn or damaged parts of the roof. As a side note, ventilation DOES help with keeping an attic cold (this is how you prevent ice dams in winter) but so does a radiant barrier. Adding attic vents is a simple matter of cutting holes and installing vents. I believe the attic used to extend into the bedroom but was vaulted and the attic sealed off in a remodel. See what I mean here? Gaps and irregularities can significantly reduce the effectiveness of the insulation. 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. 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. It should be ok, even though this is untraditional (insulating a non-conditioned space with r-value). Intake air is critical to maintaining a proper flow of air throughout the attic space. Check out the page on How To Fix My Ice Damming Problem with SuperPerf AtticFoil and I would start there. Id look at using some type of shingle over intake vent. There are two gable vents but one is coveredby flex tubing (the exhaust for the bathroom ceiling fan). Is this a good plan? If it will be the fan, then the gables should be closed and you need to add soffit venting. The attic runs hot. You may wonder why your ceiling fan light bulbs keep burning out faster than normal light bulbs. There is no way to totally prevent mold in a non-conditioned building, but decent ventilation (via gable vents) will help some. Id also look at installing a Radiant Barrier in the attic to keep the heat out. What kind? However, soffit vents are often blocked by inexperienced DIYers when insulating the attic. Well you need them together. So you have no soffit. (there are other brands/models) If you have a gable roof, Id use a 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. If the home has soffit intake vents, then they will typically be individual vents that are spaced with one every few feet, or the home may have a continuous perforated soffit that runs the entire length of the eave. Even new homes often don't have adequate ventilation!! The vents are intended to allow cold air into the attic, reducing the temperature of the roof. The attic currently has NO mold or condensation. Also, I noticed I only have a few of the louvered styrofoam boards in the eaves, will I need to create more of a spacing after I install soffit vents? If this is happening, your ventilation systems will then be working against you as they will pull all that warm air straight out of the attic and into the winter air. Wondering if a minimal amount of airflow through the fiberglass is better than none? The home currently has 1, 1215 rectangular gable vent per side of the home and a couple of small mushroom type roof vents. Loyal reader KEN has an attic space with only air exhaust points - a vented ridge, and no air intake. 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. The total venting space should equal 1/150 of the floor . doesnt mean you have to have ridge vent either, leaving a gap at the bottom of the install and at the peak of the roof. While were replacing the roof, should we add ventilation? The insulator recommended additional gable vents and a few maxi roof vents be installed to assist with getting hot air out of the attic. Hello everyone. Worse yet, inadequate insulation is almost surely allowing moisture-laden air into your attic. Your email address will not be published. It is able to conform more easily than batt insulation and thus, can get into areas that other types of insulation normally could not. If you have plenty of intake into the attic (usually via soffit vents), then your ridge vent should work well. Radiant barrier does require and air gap to work to reflect heat, just an air space/gap. Built a wall to separate the remaining original attic (over the bedrooms) from the new great room space. I was talked into this popular ridge vent. Without soffit vents, the ridge vents will draw air through other attic inlets, like a gable, but this will limit the air circulation in the attic. 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. Who wants a big, bulky vent smack on the side of their home bringing the most attention to the roof of their house? With the right wind speed, they do a fantastic job getting fresh air in and letting warm air out. I have been in my attic and never noticed any condensation or moisture. Any advice you can offer is much appreciated! The attic has a wood floor and minimal insulation. First, let me reiterate that I think you should use soffit vents as your intake source for attic ventilation. He installed a ridge vent but we do not have any soffit vents, only a single gable edge vent ( in the top third if the gable). I bought a 1930s house with a detached 3 car garage. So now the remaining attic only has a single gable vent with no intake. Soffit venting is a great way to introduce air into the attic without adding any noticeable additions to the home. Id look at adding some lower side intake vents. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. This is a huge energy waster that I discuss more in this article: Comfort and Energy Efficiency Tips. That condensation needs to be vented in order to remove the condensation. Ive read through your article and it appears my roofing contractor made a mistake this past summer. 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. These vents have a long, thin appearance, that is made to blend in with the surrounding shingles. The guideline drops to 1 ft for every 300 ft with a vapor barrier. Heating all those spaces can cost a small fortune and you do not want to constantly wonder if the heat is staying in your house or escaping through the roof (because of course, heat rises). There are no soffit vents, so Im not sure what the intake design was; air seemed to just pass through from end to end. in. Loose insulation is used for those really pesky areas that are hard to cover. Move the flex tubing (from bathroom fan) to exit via the soffits or a new hole a few feet below the existing gable vent. What would you recommend? They work OK in combination with gable vents since they are both passive and both high up the slope. Attic fans generally range in the $100 to $400 range, depending on the quality and brand. More info that here: Proper Attic Ventilation. Adding these to your home is likely something you can do on your own if you do a bit of reading up and have a tall enough ladder. You have discovered that your attic needs a bit more ventilation, but you have run into a small problem: it does not even have any existing soffits. Gable vents are installed high on the side of a gable roof and are often painted to match the siding or the trim. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. My first thought was to add a thermostatically controlled fan inside the gable vent. The fascia is a horizontal board that is fixed to the ends of roof rafters or trusses at the eaves of a building. I dive into this topic more on this page: Surface Temps vs. Air Temps (Why ventilation cant solve it all). Should I be worried for possible mold growth down the line? Ventilating attic spaces can help regulate temperatures in your living spaces. I have a split level home with a gable roof. Noticed I do NOT have vented soffits and now I have drastic mold growth in the attic. 50 Pint vs 70 Pint Dehumidifier: Which Is Best? Solution: Install air chutes or clear them if they're clogged (Photo 1). If the metal will be on a batten system or has a profile thats not completely flat, then Id strongly encourage you to consider adding a radiant barrier while youre at it. Required fields are marked *. See, here's how ridge and soffit vents work together. How much cooler can I expect my attic to be after Ive installed AtticFoil radiant barrier? All code-compliant houses with attics will already have some attic ventilation, but it's always a good idea to expand upon minimum venting requirements to keep your house in top condition for the long term. They can effectively pull the hot air out, but come with a tradeoff of higher electricity costs. Some of the links on this website are affiliate links. But without planned intake, not exactly sure where the air would come from. Original design had an attic above the ceiling; attic was ventilated with passive gable vents on each end. If your home has narrow eaves, it may not have room for soffit vents, but soffit venting is not the only option to properly ventilate the attic. Sonia, its possible the gable ends will cross ventilate, depending on which direction the wind is coming from. It faces east and gets passive solar most of the day on the front of the house and on the eastern side of the roof. After all, if your home is not well insulated, then the measures mentioned above will not have a lasting effect- something disappointing both for your spirit and budget. The international building code requires attics to be vented according to the minimums specified in International Residential Code (IRC)R806.1: All attics need to be ventilated to avoid problems with mold, moisture, high energy bills, and damage to the roof or gutter system. Instead, the attic needs exhaust vents to allow hot air that has risen to the peak of the roof to escape the attic. Soffit may keep moisture out without vents, but it also keeps any moisture inside the attic and so on from escaping. Moisture is mold's breading ground and the cause of roof rot and poor air quality. 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. You also want to choose the type of insulation that you will be using. We just moved into a house in Connecticut that has been neglected. Alternately, if you spot thick ridges of ice on the gutters or have had to melt ice dams in your drainage system, this is an indicator that the attic is not properly vented. link to Why Ceiling Fan Light Bulbs Keep Burning Out: 8 Reasons, link to Variable Speed Air Handler Pros and Cons, How Attic Insulation can Affect Ventilation, How to Insulate Your Attic to Ensure Effective Attic Ventilation, 4. This can be a great solution for small spaces that dont have secondary ventilation systems. BEST WHOLE HOUSE FAN: QuietCool 2465 CFM Classic Advanced Whole House Fan. Air enters low and then escapes out of the attic higher up near the peak of the roof, usually via a ridge vent, an attic fan (which we do not recommend), static roof vents, or a high-mounted gable vent/fan. Will adding soffit vents and killing the mold prevent future problems or do I need to remove damaged decking? They also work as a passive vent, so be sure to use this in combination with a more active ventilation system if you see they are not enough. Without a continuous flow of outside air, the attic heat in the winter will melt ice and snow at the top of the roof, which will flow down and refreeze when it reaches the cooler bottom of the roof. Take a look at this article I wrote about the basics of attic venting and see if that doesnt clear up some of the confusion: Attic Ventilation 101. A home's ventilation system consists of everything from roof vents to the best attic fans.Without the right roofing and attic ventilation system, your home can become uncomfortable and cost more to cool or heat. (n.d.). The key is having plenty of INTAKE air coming in lower, typically via the soffits. The Code requires "cross ventilation". Use this guide to learn why you need attic venting and how to improve it. Problem 1: Insulation often clogs the space between the rafters, blocking air from traveling to and from the soffit area. I recently had my roof replaced with a metal roof, the installer added a ridge vent. Should we put in passive gable vents instead of the fans? These vents can blend in with the. Mary ice damming has to do with having a relatively warm roof (usually from leaking warm air out of the attic floor) and so the solution is to have a super cold roof. Normal vented air likes to enter the attic lower down (near the bottom third of the attic ) and as it passes through, it will exit higher up near the top third of the attic space. Yes, with or without air FLOW, a radiant barrier can still reflect radiant heat can and reduce the heat entering the attic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJZrJLiP3Pc, Install low gable vents located above the top level of the attic ceiling insulation. 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. I will eventually insulate under the roof deck as well as insulate and air-seal the attic floor. I had these and had to by plywood cut to close opening and seal it. If you are having problems insulating the floor of the attic without covering the vents, consider investing in rafter vents or insulation baffles. Cross ventilation openings should be no less than 1/16 inch and no more than 1/4 inch. Rafter vents or insulation baffles, are typically installed in the spacing between rafters, creating a narrow gap that allows outside air to flow in from the soffit vents. There are no soffits and no way to add soffit vents. HomeShowRadio 7.29K subscribers Subscribe 38 Share 7.4K views 2 years ago Get help with your home improvement projects. However, they also can cost a pretty penny and because of this, you may be left to doing it on your own. Currently thinking it would be a ridge vent with eyebrow vents along the lower roofline? Remember, its a bad idea to mix exhaust vent types (passive vents with active fans). If you suspect asbestos, be sure to leave it and get it tested before deciding to go forward with the removal. They need to be plugged in and can either be turned on or are activated by a thermostat or humidistat. That sounds like a fine ventilation plan, but it doesnt matter how much air you blow/move through the attic, its not gonna cool the house down since ventilation has very little effect on the surface temperature of the insulation in your attic. Gable vents are not as horrifying as they sound. In the event an opening is more than 1/4 inch, it should be covered with wire cloth, perforated vinyl, or other screening material. The attic istongue and groove. Hi Liz, my advice is to SEAL, SEAL, SEAL the ceiling/floor of the attic to not let/minimize any warm-moist getting into attic. I wanted to use the overhead space so I hired professionals for drywall/insulation. The most common exhaust vents are ridge vents, static vents, turbine vents, and powered vents. Fully insulating conditioned sheds or buildings. ft. 300 sq. When night falls, the melted snow freezes and can create an ice dam on the roof and in the gutter system, which can lead to leaks, mold growth, and ice damage. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); How To Vent an Attic Without Soffit Vents. Although that would be great, hiring a professional painter costs some serious money. How can I add attic ventilation when we have no soffits? Finally, without enough soffit vents the motors tend to burn out . The low slope prevents me from using an edge vent. Soffit vents are roof ventilation devices installed underneath the eaves of a roof that extend past the warm wall line. There is no ridge. BEST FOR GABLE . Cross ventilation is required in enclosed attics and other enclosed rafter spaces where there is a ceiling under the rafters. Once this is done, suit up in appropriate protective gear and get to insulating. Im wondering what to do? I have no soffit vents but my garage does have a vent (I assume its a slate vent) at the peak. All are good alternatives if you cannot install soffit vents; however, a very important factor for good ventilation is good insulation. Weve had several roofers out for suggestions and so far none have worked. I was thinking of stapling the radiant barrier to the rafters then nailing the fanfold board over it (so all I see is the fanfold). So if you did want to ventilate an attic, you could use a type of vent called a drip-edge vent, which would require a little bit of carpentry. The other wants to keep the current type of vents which are turtle vents. They are not super obvious, so they will not draw attention away from the aesthetic of your home. Soffit may keep moisture out without vents, but it also keeps any moisture inside the attic and so on from escaping. Five Common Causes of Poor Attic Venting. 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. Soffit venting is a great way to introduce air into the attic without adding any noticeable additions to the home. Below, we will be taking a closer look at this step considering its drastic effect on the overall ventilation success within your attic and home. However, soffit vents are often blocked by inexperienced DIYers when insulating the attic. They're most effective when used in conjunction with a continuous ridge vent. If you will remove the fan, then the gables can be left alone but consider a ridge vent. Do you need ventilation in order for radiant barrier to work? Wind turbines are placed along the gable of your home and are also one of those great ventilation systems that are two-in-one. After you have removed the inch, simply attach the drip edge and you are in business. Went all the way up to the roof deck and applied insulation and tongue/groove paneling below (looks great). What should we do? However, having more intake vents can help too. We currently have two gable vents that are too high to create any airflow from the bottom up and strangely, we have a ridge vent even though we dont have soffits. If you go this route, you will need additional vents to allow the air to get OUT (I recommend you use static vents for this purpose). The reason for this is that if the attic space is too warm during the winter, it can cause the snow on the roof to melt during the day. Hello! Thank you. closing off the ridge). 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. On a small shed that size, a ridge vent wont make a difference compared to the existing gable vents. ft. of airflow per 150 sq. Id still recommend leaving a gap at the bottom of the install and at the peak of the roof, but even without ventilation, you will see a measurable drop in surface temps. Best of all, Atlas ventilation products are eligible components of the Atlas Signature Select Roofing . 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. The roof has continuous soffit vents but no ridge vent. ( I.e. Please HELP!! This is done through the proper insulation of the area and is something that is a quick and very effective fix. A venting drip edge is actually pretty easy to install as well and very often, only takes a little bit of grappling with your roof to get the job done. I agree with the installers recommending passive roof vents lower down the roof (on both sides) so that air could enter closer to the bottom of the roof to then exit through the passive vents at the top. Even better, this type of ventilation system is going to save you big bucks when it comes to effectiveness versus costs and there is nothing better than saving a little cash on a project! Move the flex tubing (from bathroom fan) to exit via a new hole a few feet below the existing gable vent. You can check if your attic needs better ventilation by touching the ceiling of the floor below on a hot day. If things are working well as they are, I would leave it be. Formerly I had 3 dormer vents with the gable vent. Bill, I would discuss these issues with your roofer and ask them what options you have with the new roof. Attic ventilation is one of the key factors to helping keep your utility bills in check during hot weather, and to preventing issues such as mold growth and ice dam formation in the winter. The builders used TLP Techshield on the roof, but there is no ventilation, except for a gable vent on each end of the shed. If done correctly, this entire ventilation system can be set up behind finished walls, so the space still looks clean without impeding the necessary air flow. These vents are sneaky little boogers- but in a good way. Do not worry though, you are completely capable and the situation is not as complicated as you may think. I was thinking when we replace the roof, we should install a ridge vent. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.