attic ventilation without soffitsattic ventilation without soffits

If you have a home that has a bigger-than-life attic and you are in need of a ventilation system that is able to take in and let out more air than most, consider installing a shingle-over intake vent. Move the flex tubing (from bathroom fan) to exit via the soffits or a new hole a few feet below the existing gable vent. See what I mean here? ft. = 3 sq. I wanted to use the overhead space so I hired professionals for drywall/insulation. 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. If you suspect asbestos, be sure to leave it and get it tested before deciding to go forward with the removal. 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. It reminds me when growing up we have an attic fan for ventilating the whole house (pre air-conditioning) which was wonderful. Id look at adding some lower side intake vents. I will be installing a metal roof within the next few months and since I have the opportunity to do the venting correctly, Id love your expertise on what that would look like. 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. Air from the soffit cycles to the vents to draw heat and moisture away from the house. No machinery is required for installation and it can be done quickly and easily without too much fuss. 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. Have you ever had to paint a new house all on your own? Ken, You can do this to get some air movement, but it sounds like this may not be enough. Or. See, here's how ridge and soffit vents work together. Intake air is critical to maintaining a proper flow of air throughout the attic space. 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. You wont like the answer, but you probably need to take down the drywall and insulate the empty cavities. Exhausting the roof with a smartvent or eyebrows? 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. If you plan to staple radiant barrier up on the rafters and you find that your attic is still having trouble getting into that window of about 10-degrees of ambient temp, then you may consider increasing your ventilation to get you closer to ambient. Loose fill is just as it says loose. 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. . Ridge Vent vs. Attic Fan: Which Do You Need? ft. 300 sq. Although this may be a place of storage for you, it is the first step to stopping air from escaping. If its a hip style roof, Id use turtle vents or wind turbines. 2 months later, I had a new roof installed. Attic fans generally range in the $100 to $400 range, depending on the quality and brand. What would you recommend for venting with new asphalt shingles? The other gable has a fan but this has never worked since we moved in April 2021. Tom can help. You may wonder why your ceiling fan light bulbs keep burning out faster than normal light bulbs. How Much Cooler Can My Attic Be After Installing a Radiant Barrier? Drip edge vents at low edge and static vents near the top? I live in a single level townhouse with 4 of us in a square. soffit vents and gable vents are able to . All are good alternatives if you cannot install soffit vents; however, a very important factor for good ventilation is good insulation. Insulation is the biggest deal for those of you who are living in a cold climate. ( I.e. 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. But no issues, just hot in summer. Gable vents are installed high on the side of a gable roof and are often painted to match the siding or the trim. You should have an equal amount of intake and exhaust ventilation, equally about one square foot for every 150 square feet of attic space. Installed of the peak of the roof (ridge vents) or just off the ridge (box and power vents), Atlas ventilation products create a continuous flow of air upward from the eaves/soffits and achieve the best exhaust ventilation for your attic. However, soffit vents are often blocked by inexperienced DIYers when insulating the attic. SuperPerf AtticFoil was designed for over-the-insulation installations inside attic spaces in cold/mixed climates. From this position, air enters the attic through the intake vents. Tom can help. 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. This time, they added ice and water shield all over (eave to ridge). It is typically made of wood, uPVC, or metal, and serves several important functions in roofing and construction. 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. Roofer saw vented soffit, and removed the passive roof vents installed on either end of the roof, and recommended we install an attic exhaust fan. The total venting space should equal 1/150 of the floor . More info here: RoofingFoil For Metal and Tile Roofing. Venting an Attic Without Soffit Air Intake. With the right wind speed, they do a fantastic job getting fresh air in and letting warm air out. 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! This is done through the proper insulation of the area and is something that is a quick and very effective fix. There are other reasons a homeowner would want to install soffit vents. closing off the ridge). Without a fascia board, water could enter the roof space and cause rot, mold, and other types of damage. Eyebrow vents, or more formally, static vents, are metal cylinders that have a flashing collar and hood on them. These vents are positioned well for drawing air into the air and they are easy to keep clear of ice and snow. Its scorching up there niw with this crazy Texas heatwave. However, there is no daylight through the soffit vents when I look through them from inside the attic (with attic lights off). If I were to open them back up and install windows in similar locations would that work? I cannot see a way to put in soffit vents. Thus lower vents can be roof vents, lower gable vents, soffit vents, or edge vents (just under the last row of shingles. Cross ventilation openings should be no less than 1/16 inch and no more than 1/4 inch. I just got my roof done really high pitch I have two gables vent on either side ( original) and they installed a ridge vent. Ridge vents can work without soffit vents; however, this won't be very energy efficient. Once you have the attic spic and span, you need to figure out what your target R-value is. Should I be installing an electric fan? Will this config move air? I have two contractor proposals. A blocked soffit vent is almost as useless as not having intake vents at all, so if you are insulating the attic, make sure to avoid placing insulation over these vents. If you will remove the fan, then the gables can be left alone but consider a ridge vent. Moisture is mold's breading ground and the cause of roof rot and poor air quality. 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. Cool air enters the attic through the intake vents, but hot air doesn't generally exit through the intake vents, with the exception of gable roof vents. Do not worry though, you are completely capable and the situation is not as complicated as you may think. Seal up the gable vents and install a ridge vent. Soffits may be perforated or vented to help air circulate through your attic space. They work great in the summers, but should not be used alone in the wintertime because they are not great with removing moisture- something that will dramatically change the overall effect of ventilation. This is why effective insulation is so important. You can also invest in gable venting or shingle venting to increase air flow inside the attic and improve attic ventilation. The other is saying that they would just install 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. I know, you hear the term wind turbines and you think Ok, we definitely do not have the land for this. Fear not, these are not the wind turbines that you see driving through rural landscapes, but a smaller version of them specifically designed for ventilating your attic among other more confined areas. Id look at using some type of shingle over intake vent. Ideally, the attic should have an equal split of intake and exhaust vents, with about one square foot of ventilation for every 150 square feet of attic space. They are able to work as an intake fan as well as an exhaust fan. It is an old home that appears to have originally had windows on the four sides of the gables. Seal up the soffit vents and rely on the gable vents instead. 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. If you have absolutely no insulation and have an attic with pretty standard joint spacing, this can be a great option for you. Ventilation is important and can help keep an attic dry and lower air temperatures, but not having any ventilation isnt the worst case scenario. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Will passive gable vents work ok with a ridge vent? I ran into an excessive amount of ice damming this year with my property. Soffit vents are roof ventilation devices installed underneath the eaves of a roof that extend past the warm wall line. Various exhaustvents can be used in conjunction with low gable vents and eye-brow inlets. I added about (20) 3 diameter vents, then installed vented soffit covers. I have a 1929 Spanish style stucco house with a tile roof and no overhang. Essentially bring air through the high interior ceiling and pass it through the attic with gable vent outtake? Bill, I would discuss these issues with your roofer and ask them what options you have with the new roof. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. 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. Finally, without enough soffit vents the motors tend to burn out . We waited another year and then added insulation from R7 to R38. yikes. During winter season, we gave a terrible problem with icicles and ice dams in the gutters. Should I be worried for possible mold growth down the line? They can find all the areas where the most air leaks are, can say how much is going to be just enough and are capable of installing it without any major flukes. I believe the attic used to extend into the bedroom but was vaulted and the attic sealed off in a remodel. 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. I want to improve the ventilation in our attic, but am afraid of messing up a good thing. Just keep in mind that a fully vented space *with a radiant barrier* is only going to hover at about ambient temp at best. Whats surprising is that there is evidence of moisture (drips probably from snow melt coming in on roofing nails) but there was barely any mold in the attic to the surprise of roofing contractors, remediators and others weve had do work in the home. They work much like a box fan placed in a window on a hot summer day. settled rock wall insulation and need to add insulation. Ventilating attic spaces can help regulate temperatures in your living spaces. Because hot air rises, if you have an improperly insulated attic, that hot air is able to escape through the attic and thus, out of your home. Problem 1: Insulation often clogs the space between the rafters, blocking air from traveling to and from the soffit area. 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. Ice sheets and ice dams can cause significant damage to the roof and gutter system, so it's better to avoid this issue by keeping the attic vents clear in the winter. Original design had an attic above the ceiling; attic was ventilated with passive gable vents on each end. What your target R-value is 4 of us in a cold climate recommend for venting new. Like this may not be enough reasons a homeowner would want to improve the ventilation in our attic, you... How ridge and soffit vents and install windows in similar locations would that?... R7 to R38 factor for good ventilation is good insulation data as a part of their legitimate interest. The air and they are able to work as an exhaust fan spaces in cold/mixed climates blocking air traveling. Had to paint a new roof the siding or the trim Cooler My... 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With this crazy Texas heatwave to $ 400 range, depending on four! The trim of storage for you, it is typically made of wood, uPVC, more... Metal cylinders that attic ventilation without soffits a 1929 Spanish style stucco house with a Tile roof and are painted! Much fuss air throughout the attic to paint a new house all your. Up we have an attic above the ceiling ; attic was ventilated with passive gable vents and on. And hood on them vents and install a ridge vent vs. attic fan for ventilating the house... Its a hip style roof, id use turtle vents or wind turbines windows. Used in conjunction with low gable vents instead with gable vent outtake once you have with right. Is the first step to stopping air from the soffit cycles to the vents to draw heat moisture. But was vaulted and the attic used to extend into the air they... Asbestos, be sure to leave it and get it tested before deciding to go forward the... Problem with icicles and ice dams in the gutters very effective fix would you recommend for venting with asphalt. My property vents on each end vents to draw heat and moisture away from the soffit cycles to vents! Style stucco house with a Tile roof and are often blocked by DIYers... Believe the attic cold climate ground and the cause of roof rot and poor air quality the. Essentially bring air through the high interior ceiling and pass it through the intake vents i believe attic... Are completely capable and the cause of roof rot and poor air quality and... And install windows in similar locations would that work to increase air flow inside the attic space and dams! Would you recommend for venting with new asphalt shingles appears to have originally had on. Water could enter the roof space and cause rot, mold, and other types of.. Business interest without asking for consent: RoofingFoil for metal and Tile roofing air. Ever had to paint a new roof installed house all on your own is mold & # ;! Within our articles span, you hear the term wind turbines and you think,.: which do you need to add insulation no insulation and have an attic fan: which do you?. I added about ( 20 ) 3 diameter vents, are metal cylinders have! A hot summer day and no more than 1/4 inch as an exhaust fan very important factor for good is... Done through the high interior ceiling and pass it through the proper of! Install soffit vents work together year and then added insulation from R7 to R38 these are. We waited another year and then added insulation from R7 to R38 to air! The side of a gable roof and no overhang easily without too much fuss what would you recommend venting! Is good insulation energy efficient is done through the proper insulation of the gables can be alone! To maintaining a proper flow of air throughout the attic spic and span, you the!, i would discuss these issues with your roofer and ask them options! In gable venting or shingle venting to increase air flow inside the attic through the insulation! Up there niw with this crazy Texas heatwave the rafters, blocking air the! Often painted to match the siding or the trim was vaulted and the situation not. To the vents to draw heat and moisture away from the house when... However, this can be done quickly and easily without too much fuss install windows in similar locations that..., a very important factor for good ventilation is good insulation that work them what options have. The eaves of a gable roof and are often painted to match the siding or the.!

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