Does My Attic Need Ventilation

Generally speaking you need a ratio of 1 300 where for every 300 square feet of ceiling space you need 1 square foot of attic ventilation.

Does my attic need ventilation.

Homes do not have proper roof ventilation which can lead to severe roof damage. You can also contact your local municipality to check on building code in your area. 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. The federal housing administration recommends at least 1 square foot of ventilation for every 300 square feet of attic space.

Attic ventilation works on the principle that heated air naturally rises primarily utilizing two types of vents. Once they are in place you can then place the batts or blankets or blow insulation right out to the very edge of the attic floor. 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. 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.

That said air resistance and interference such as vent grates reduces the area of true ventilation. What does attic ventilation do for my home. Determining what you need is simple all you need is the size of your house and a calculator. If your attic is enclosed california s building code states it should have cross ventilation.

Roofing experts say the majority of u s. Attic ventilation is an intake and exhaust system that creates airflow designed to decrease the difference in temperature between the outdoor air and the air inside the attic. Attic ventilation should equal approximately 1 square foot of vent area for every 300 square feet of. That is openings doors windows and louvers to the outside should create a.

Most building codes require a ratio of 1 150 ventilation space to attic floor space. In other words the entire vent opening doesn t count as vented space. Intake vents located at the lowest part of the roof under the eaves allow cool.