Roof Ventilation- How to Keep your Roof Fresh

Numerous aspects of the structure of a roof work together to neutralize the temperature of your attic space, a necessary state for energy savings. You can increase roof ventilation with the installation of vents; ridge, soffit, gable, and roof are all examples of venting required on a fresh roof.  

Why Roof Ventilation Matters

Ventilation is linked to ‘homeostasis’ since through convection, it pushes hot attic air out through the top of the roof and reduces moisture build-up in an attic. In other words, ventilation moderates the roof/home climate. Like flowing water, ventilation keeps a home from becoming stagnant and rotten. 

Read more about the necessity of isolating attic air from the home’s upper level, how to achieve the isolation, and how a properly insulated attic space works together with roof venting to create a perfect neutral attic temperature in our article ‘Roof Vents and Attic Insulation- How They Help’.

Correct venting also helps prevent ice damming:

Ice-damming is a specific phenomenon in winter climates that occurs when warm attic air melts winter roof snow that then refreezes in sheets on the lower portion of a roof. After numerous melting and refreezing incidents, ice damming presents rot damage for your shingles, roofing plywood, and facia.

Types of Ventilation:

Soffit Vents

Soffit vents are perforated segments of aluminum located at the bottom of the edge of your roof. Cool air from below flows up through the attic, pushing warm attic air out through ridge and roof vents. 

Ridge Vents

Ridge venting sits along the roof peak. It is somewhat camouflaged by an upper cap of shingles, while still allowing air to escape along the whole ridge.  

Static Roof Vents

Following the ridge vent is the static roof vent, which appears box-like shapes peppered over the upper portion of the roof. 

Turbine vents

These bizarre, bulbous-looking devices are most commonly recognized by their appearance. They are large, round metal constructs with spinning blades that aid in the ventilation process. Like a wind turbine, the vent is powered by the natural amount of wind available.