Roof Ventilation - Are Roof Vents Enough?

While we relax in our kitchen in the morning, enjoying our fancy coffees and blueberry crepes, the thought of our roof ventilation is the farthest thing from our minds. Justly so. Because almost no one ever really gives a frog's fat ass about roof ventilation until it becomes a problem, until this problem starts to cause roof damage and high home heating or cooling costs.

Suddenly it becomes important to pay attention.

Roof ventilation really can save annual energy costs. Most people don't know this, and even fewer roofing companies know this because roof ventilation is a touchy, largely unknown subject.

Think of it this way . . . trapped hot air and moisture (under ANY conditions) always cause some form of damage. If hot air and moisture are caught in your roof attic areas, wood starts to rot, attic insulation gets wet and loses its insulation qualities: The whole trapped heat and moisture situation can get extremely chronic, and extremely expensive to fix if left unchecked.

Are Roof Vents Enough?

Roof vents come in many shapes and sizes. From simple vents, those little square things you see scattered all over almost every roof, to turbine vents, to ridge vents, and including solar powered vents.

All these vents are helpful. Some more than others.

The real secret of effective roof ventilation is an healthy amount of soffit ventilation. Soffit ventilation consists of an equal amount of air coming IN from the bottom of your roof edges, the areas where the rain drains into the eave troughs, along the entire perimeter of your roof.

Confused yet?

Intake and exhaust: when air flows from this bottom (soffit) area of your roof and moves UP to the top of your roof (ridge) area, this ratio of air flow will remove all or most the trapped heat and moisture trapped in your attic. This ratio of intake and exhaust is the key. 50% intake (the bottom edge of your roof) and 50% exhaust (the very top of your roof).

No more confusion.

Simple roof vents are not enough. Why? Because the air flow from the bottom of your roof, or any roof, depends on strong air movement. Secret: continuous ridge vents with baffles combined with continuous soffit vents are a powerful way to accomplish this balance because it uses a force of nature that is most available and consistent. An energy source that is always free. What is this source of free energy?

The wind.

This green, environmentally energy source can be used to fully ventilate your entire attic. Combined with good roof insulation, you then have the perfect conditions for advanced roof ventilation for decades to come.

It DOES seem confusing, though it makes perfect sense.

When you invest in wind-driven roof ventilation, or attic ventilation, you won't need to pay dearly in the long run for extreme physical damages to your house AND you will not need to suffer enormous unnecessary energy costs for lack of action when the signs of damage start to manifest.

Why not get some help?

By: roofguy

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Brookside Roofing is a residential Toronto roofing expert helping home owners get the best value when seeking or upgrading roof ventilation.