How To Ventilate A Roof

Flat roof ventilation allows for the circulation of air in the property particularly for warmer rooms in residential buildings.

How to ventilate a roof.

Roof ventilation depends on the simple scientific fact that hot air rises. If you choose to vent the roof deck then be serious about it and really vent it. Good roof ventilation can do this but shingle color sun exposure and insulation are exponentially more important to overall energy efficiency than ventilation. A ridge vent is a ventilation strip that is placed along the ridgeline of the home.

Warm air that escapes living space also carries moisture that will condense on rafters or roof sheathing. What is flat roof ventilation. Fairly simple stuff fresh air in old stale air out. For the best results place roof ventilation near the roof s peak and soffit vents in the eaves.

Hot air beneath the metal needs an escape route near the top of the roof and intake vents at the bottom of the roof. Different forms of high and low level ventilation are used as well apart from the soffit vents and ridge vents pictured. Taking advantage of this natural process referred to as passive ventilation is the most common way to vent an attic. The code calls for a minimum of 1 in.

Sure installing roof vents for older homes can reduce your hot air during the summer but there are probably more low risk cost effective ways to increase your home s energy. For best performance the airspace in the vent chute should be a minimum of 2 in. Unless you re bulk filling rafter. There are two types of flat roof systems warm and cold roofs which affect the positioning of the ventilation.

Of airspace between the top of the insulation and the back of the roof sheathing. When thermal insulation is placed below the deck the ventilation must. Hot air exhaust vents located at the peak of the roof allow hot air to escape. Roof ventilation this picture represents what is considered to be the best way to ventilate a roof space.