Too Much Roof Ventilation

Watch to find out how much ventilation your roof needs to keep air flowing and stop mold before it starts.

Too much roof ventilation.

Dangers of too much ventilation. Ventilation of attic spaces is required by most building codes as well as by roofing material manufacturers and the national roofing contractors association nrca. The two main dangers associated with too much ventilation involve roof damage and increased utility bills. Let owens corning roofing help you calculate exactly how much ventilation you will need for a healthy and balanced attic with our 4 step ventilation calculator.

Air flows in through the soffit vents and out through the roof vents. Then you can begin choosing the style and type of roof vents you want for your home. If you have too much air circulating your roof will collect moisture causing damages that will weaken spots and then cause leaking. Before we explore how to ventilate an attic space it is prudent to understand how much ventilation is needed.

Roof vents create an additional roof penetration essentially another place of vulnerability where leaks can occur. Federal housing authority recommends a minimum of at least 1 square foot of attic ventilation evenly split between intake and exhaust for every 300 square feet of attic floor space. If you see dampness or frost you need better roof ventilation and some attic vents. Proper attic ventilation consists of a balance between air intake at your eaves soffits or fascias and air exhaust at or near your roof ridge.

For the best results place roof ventilation near the roof s peak and soffit vents in the eaves. It s important to remember that it s better to have too much intake ventilation than too little and many homes often undercalculate the amount of intake needed so worry less about having too much intake and err on the side of having more. Insufficient ventilation can lead to moisture problems during the winter and decreased energy efficiency during the summer but too much ventilation can be just as bad if not worse. 2 focusing only on heat buildup.

Ventilation can be accomplished using various products and techniques. One static vent style is the turbine vent. If a roofing contractor is going to be out of balance with the attic ventilation system it s better to have too much intake than too much exhaust because the excess intake converts to exhaust on the leeward side of the house. Grab a flashlight and inspect your attic during the winter.

Vents come in various styles. Enter square footage calculate or enter the square footage of the attic or area to be vented.