Proper Attic Ventilation and How to Achieve It

Whether you’re planning some roof repairs or get a full replacement, it’s important to keep your home’s interiors as cool and comfortable as possible. A well-built roof won’t be as effective in conserving energy without adequate ventilation, after all. But if you’re not sure where to start, trusted roofing repair and replacement contractor Pawcatuck Roofing Co. explain a few points you need to keep in mind:

Choose the Right Roofing Vent

Your roofing system is designed to have intake and exhaust vents installed to capture cool air and release hot air that naturally rises to your attic. Intake vents are on the lower edge of the roof while the ones near or on the top are the exhaust vents. You’ll find it difficult to determine the proper placement of the vents by yourself, so you need to hire a trusted roofer to do the job for you. Depending on which type of roof you have installed, they’ll also know which type of roofing vents to install, such as:

• Ridge Vents – They’re commonly used as exhaust vents and run along the peak of the roof.

• Soffit Vents – They’re usually the intake vents on the roof and are located on the soffit, which is the underside of the overhang of a roof.

• Turbine Vents – They use a wind-powered turbine to suck the hot air out of the roof replacement, so they’re typically placed higher on a roof’s surface.

• Gable Vents – They’re named after roofing gables and they’re located at the sides of a home.

Install What’s Adequate For Your Roof

To figure out how many vents are needed for your roof, professional roofers consider the Net Free Area (NFA) of the vent they’re about to install. While the number of vents needed on your roof is usually split 50/50 between intake and exhaust, they also calculate the NFA to know the exact amount of space the vent has for air to flow in or out. 

The equal number of intake/exhaust vents can change depending on the slope of your roof. For instance, if the slope of your roof is more than the average 6:12 slope (a rise of six feet for a run of 12 feet), you can expect there will be more space, moisture, and heat to ventilate in your attic. 

At the very least, roofers know that at least one vent should be installed every 300 square feet of attic area if your attic has a vapor barrier. If you don’t have a vapor barrier, they’ll install one every 150 square feet of attic area. 

As a reputable roofing contractor, you can count on the services offered by Pawcatuck Roofing Co. to get the job done! Call us today at (860) 940-2343 or reach us online through our convenient contact form. We serve New London and the surrounding CT areas plus roofs, vinyl siding installation, and gutters in Connecticut and Rhode Island.