Roof Vent West Lafayette IN

No matter what type of roof vent you choose, a properly installed exhaust system in your attic will make an enormous difference in the ambience in your home as well as in your home cooling bills. Attic vents are an economical way to prevent the build-up of heat in your attic during the warmer months. Did you know that in summer the air temperature in your attic could reach as high as 150 degrees Fahrenheit? That's more than uncomfortably hot!
Proper attic venting allows the hot air rising from the living areas into the attic to escape outside through the roof fans or roof vents. Most homes nowadays have a system of attic vents, but it may not always be adequate for the size of the home.

The most common attic vents are “passive” in that they are operated by the movement of air around them. These would include ridge, soffit, flat or “pot” roof vents, and turbine roof vents. Attic roof vents operated by electricity or solar power are often called “active ventilation devices” and include exhaust fan vents and electrically powered roof ventilators.

Roof vents help extend the life of your roof, make the house more comfortable and, very importantly these days when there is a lot of concern about allergens, help prevent the growth of mildew, mold, and fungi in your attic area. These are caused by a build-up of moisture, and a roof vent system is designed to keep a flow of air through the attic, which stops the creation of the right “climate” for these allergen-causing growths.

It isn't just for summer weather that you need an attic vent system – roof vents will also help stop the build-up of ice in the roof, which results in roofing damage and costly repairs.

Probably not! Your roof fans or vents work hard all year round. Not only do they exhaust hot air in the summer and bring in cooler air; they exhaust potentially damaging moisture from your attic. In the winter, a properly vented attic will help prevent damage from ice dams and so increase the lifespan of roofing shingles.

It is important to get a proper balance for ventilation in your attic. For example, if you have a good inward air flow, but not a good exhaust flow, then the cooler air will find its way into the living areas and you'll have drafts.

Professional installers work with a rule of thumb for a good balance of incoming and out flowing air, which determines the number of roof or attic vents needed. This is called a “net free area” and is determined by the size of the vent opening, after taking into account blockages caused by screening or slats in the attic vent opening. Ask your local building supply or hardware store that supplies roof vents about the “net free area” required for the type of attic vents you want to install.

Attic vents work by encouraging a flow of cooling drying air through the attic space. As the hot air is pushed outside through the roof vents, the cooler air moves in and replaces it. This kind of ventilation keeps your attic cool and dry, preventing a build-up of hot air in summer and stopping condensation and dampness which can lead to the growth of potential allergens such as mold and mildew. These also cause damage to your roof timbers, such as rot and ice build-up.

It isn't just the attic that gets hot if there is no proper attic vent system; the hot air that becomes trapped after rising from the living area will eventually be compressed and forced back down through the wall cavities to increase the uncomfortable heat in the living areas and bedrooms. This problem can be particularly bad in older homes where moist warm air may leak around bathroom exhaust fans and light fixtures into the attic. It can also be a problem in newer homes, despite the use of vapor barriers, because the flow of heated air from the living area will still find its way into the attic. Once there, it condenses on the cooler roof structures and eventually causes damage.

No matter what kind of roof vent system you choose to install, the experts agree that encouraging a flow of air through the house by ventilation is the best and most energy efficient way of cooling.

Freeman Exteriors

765-543-9941
7800 W.650 S.
Lafayette, IN