How Does Attic Ventilation Work

About attic ventilation natural attic ventilation.

How does attic ventilation work. In cold climates the primary purpose of attic or roof ventilation is to maintain a cold roof temperature to control ice dams created by melting snow and to vent moisture that moves from the conditioned space to the attic ventilation acts to bypass the vapour barrier created by most roof membranes. Attic fans exhaust hot air from your attic to the outside. Fresh air is pulled in from your soffits and or roof vent creating a draft through your attic. An attic fan works by drawing in cool air to the attic space that pushes out the hot air through vents.

The purpose of attic ventilation is so that heat can leave the attic when the air conditioner turns on and is trying to circulate cold air around the house. Attic ventilation fans help cool air your attic by pushing out the stifling hot air from inside the attic and bringing in cool air from outside. An attic ventilator is essentially a port where air can escape to the outdoors. Are ridge vents better.

Soffit vents may leave air trapped at the top of your attic. Most effective ventilation uses a ridge and soffit continuous ventilation system but even these designs can vary from roof to roof. Attic ventilation works on the principle that heated air naturally rises primarily utilizing two types of vents. Intake vents located at the lowest part of the roof under the eaves allow cool air to enter the attic.

It helps minimize the impact of ice damming. It helps prevent moisture from becoming trapped in insulation structural wood shingles and roof deck it. It allows outside air to flow naturally upward and out of attic. In such doing the attic fan will reduce the temperature in the attic space that in turn cools down the whole house.

When it is cold outside the ventilation system will work by maintaining the cold temperature so that ice will not melt on the roof and create ice dams. This prevents hot air from seeping into your home and driving up the temperature in the living space which reduces the load on your air conditioner. It allows hot air to escape in the summer and can also help reduce the chances of ice damage in the winter by allowing a natural flow of outdoor air to ventilate the attic. Proper attic ventilation offers all these benefits.

Hot air exhaust vents located at the peak of the roof allow hot air to escape. This air is then exhausted through the fan to the outside. It promotes a cool dry attic. Static roof line vents are effective for ventilation but generally aren t recommended due to issues with leaks.

At first it may seem odd to add insulation for warmth and then purposely allow cold air to. While it may seem silly to meticulously cover a home with insulation only to leave a place for air to escape the attic vent serves a few important purposes.