Allowing your attic to vent a little

• Posted on June 30, 2018
• by mikew
• in Fix It & Use It
• No Comments.

Have you ever wondered about those square black boxes on house roofs? What about those round holes cut into the eaves? Ever wondered where all the moisture and heat goes in your house? Let me answer those questions by explaining your attic ventilation.

Hot air and moisture escape from the attic through four common vents, and one less common method. These are what help keep your house cooler in the summer months and ensure moisture has a way of leaving your attic rather than promoting fuzzy, moldy growth!

The first is the roof vent. From the outside they look like a black square turtle shell in the middle or top edge of your roof. You may be familiar with its appearance from the outside, this is what it looks like on the inside. They have a mesh screen that keeps pests from nesting in your attic and are designed to keep rain from entering the attic.

Second, is the soffit/eave vent. These are the round holes or triangles in the “bird blocks” under the eave of your roof. Again, here’s what they look like from inside the attic. They have mesh installed and usually cardboard baffles that keep the fluffy insulation from obstructing the air flow. They are one of the most critical vents in the system for they draw in cooler air in as warmer air escapes through the roof or ridge vent. Their screens prevent birds and rodents from nesting in the safe, warm attic spaces.

Third, is the gable end louver vent that, from the outside, usually has a decorative look in the middle of the “triangle part” of the house roof (this picture is another inside look at the vent). This vent usually has a partner vent on the other side of the attic area to permit air flow through the length of the attic space. They are effective in providing horizontal air flow but usually need additional vents to ensure proper vertical air flow.

Fourth, there is the ridge vent. These are being installed a great deal nowadays at the top of the roof edge. They blend in and are difficult to see from the ground – that’s part of why they are popular. Ridge vents run the full ridge line of the roof and generally replace the need for roof-style vents.

The lesson common approach to attic ventilation is the  ventilation fan which turns on at certain temperatures or humidity levels to help cool the house in the summer months, reduce excess moisture levels or supplement ventilation. On the roof they usually look like thick, round discs. Fans requires a power source and a switch and regular inspection to ensure it is operating properly. This is the “sump pump” of attics and can be a terrific solution to attic ventilation problems. But like all mechanical fixes, they are costly and require continued maintenance.