Attic Exhaust Vents
Attic ventilation is important in order to keep your attic cool and comfortable. Exhaust vents play a crucial role in ensuring proper attic ventilation by allowing hot air to escape.
Attic exhaust vents are intended to vent out heat and moisture, hence the name. This makes the attic a more comfortable and safer place. That’s the purpose of exhaust vents like ridge vents, wind turbines, gable louvers, box vents/roof louvers, and power fans — and there are five different types of them on the market. So of course the contractor is focused on them.
But in this day and age, there is no need to apply a cloud of dust into the open air, but rather the proper amount can be achieved at the roof of the duct in the attic. We volunteered the question in order to highlight the importance of ventilation in attic designs and to urge builders to incorporate ventilation whenever possible.
Balanced System
Roofing contractors who have learned how to look at the airflow dynamics within an attic, can see that to remove the hot air and moisture from an attic it does not require the current warm and dry air coming in to the attic.
The combined intake and exhaust systems help to fight ice dams in snow climates and keep the roof deck equal by keeping the temperature even, so the snow and ice can melt evenly.
A contractor installs intake vents with exhaust vents as a regular course of action, or at least ensure the exhaust ventilation in place is adequate.
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the one-two combination of intake and exhaust is the two-way or automatic nature of the joint. The two-way nature of the joint encompasses a lot more than just the vacuum that is provided by an automatic exhaust vent. It is important to understand how the automatic vent works in order to properly install the vent into the attic.
Why Stop Halfway?
Many of the roofing contractors insist that they should install intake ventilation also when installing exhaust vents because anything less is not finishing the job for the homeowner:
“Yes, we install the intake vents because we know the progress we’re making with the project is real good and we can’t let people down on such a big journey with the project that we are finishing today,”
Sometimes it takes the homeowner a year or more to accept the idea of a contractor who does not wish to operate on their roof.
Useless and Problematic
Not only are exhaust vents unable to properly remove heat and water from the attic without the required air flow from the intake vents, they can become problematic, and problems often lead to customers wanting to walk away from the installation.
If a non-motorized exhaust vent is hungry for air, this means that it is not being utilized correctly by the exhaust. This causes the exhaust to suck air into itself or to flow into a nearby exhaust vent. All of these elements have to be contained in a ventilator system. The system must be able to contain the air in the event that the exhaust vent becomes overwhelmed.
Motorized exhaust vents (roof-mount and gable-mount power fans) that lack the necessary intake air can experience premature motor burnout due to the lack of intake air, and pull air from the conditioned living space.
Installation Instructions, Warranty and Code
If the installation instructions from the shingle manufacturer clearly state the need for proper exhaust ventilation, what does the shingle manufacturer’s warranty say?
The full terms of the shingle warranty are tied to proper attic ventilation, with the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, the official representing organization of roofing shingles, telling the Asphalt of the requirements sought by customers.
Follow one of the attic ventilation manufacturers’ installation guidelines. It almost can be intentional to ignore what the attic ventilation manufacturer is not telling you.
Always on the Lookout
There are two types of exhaust vents: ridge vents and power vents. Ridge vents are the most popular type of exhaust vent. They are placed along the ridge of the roof and allow hot air to escape through the peaks of the roof. Power vents are placed along the gable or soffit of the roof and use a motor to draw hot air out of the attic.
This is something that the contractor should be aware of at all times. There are a few ways that the contractor can help the homeowner to keep an eye on the situation. The contractor can install a sensor in the attic that will monitor the temperature and humidity levels. The contractor can also install a camera in the attic so that the homeowner can see what is going on in the attic from their phone or computer.Sometimes the roof already has enough intake ventilation and only needs a boost with the exhaust.
Intake Vents Boost Your Bottom Line
The benefits of installing intake vents are numerous. Not only will they help to remove heat and water from the attic, but they will also help to boost your bottom line. By installing intake vents, you will be able to increase the value of your home, as well as the lifespan of your roof.
Intake vents are important for two reasons. First, they help to boost your bottom line. If you have a lot of hot air in your attic, it will eventually make its way into your living space. This will make your home feel hotter and cause your air conditioner to work harder.Many of the roofing contractors we interviewed said including intake vents as one of the many parts of the attic ventilation project would increase sales and referrals.
Intake vents provide many benefits for the home and the contractor. It help to remove heat and moisture from the attic. They also help to boost the bottom line of the contractor. When a contractor installs an intake vent, they are helping to improve the air flow in the attic. Intake vents help to remove heat and moisture from the attic, which can help to extend the life of the roof. Intake vents also help to improve the efficiency of the HVAC system, which can help to save money on energy bills. Intake vents can also help to improve the indoor air quality of the home, which can be beneficial for the health of the occupants.