Roof ventilation is a critical requirement to prevent roofing damage and to make it easier to control the interior climate of a home or building.
Grouped into two main categories consisting of passive vents that work on their own and active vents that work via some power source, roofing contractors advise that each of the different vents used on a roof plays an essential role in keeping attic temperatures cool year-round to prevent roof overheating and the problems that can result from it.
What Is The Role of Roofing Vents?
Roofing companies advise that most of the vents installed on any average roof are passive and work by simply allowing air to pass through naturally.
Vents higher up on the roof allow hot air to escape, while vents lower down enable cooler air to be drawn in as it does.
What Are The Different Types of Passive Roof Vents?
Passive vents in their various forms are standard inclusions in every installation done by experienced roofing contractors as they are considered an integral part of every roof system.
The types of passive roof vents that can be found on most roofs include:
- Ridge Vents - Positioned at the top of roof pitches, these exhaust vents allow hot attic air to escape freely through the top of the roofing to prevent the attic from overheating.
- Static Vents - Another type of exhaust vent opening positioned near the tops of the roof to allow hot air from the attic to naturally rise and escape.
- Gable Vents - Located at the ends of gable roofs, these are one more example of passive exhaust escapes for rising hot air that help to keep the space directly under the roofing cooler.
- Soffit Vents - Working directly in conjunction with ridge, static, and gable vents, these intake vents positioned low on the roof in the soffit allow cooler air to be drawn in as hotter air rises upward and escapes through the top vents.
For the natural flow of air to function properly so hot air can escape through the higher vents, experienced roofing companies know that soffit vents are sometimes left out in an effort to save money yet should be included.
Without them, an overheated attic is more likely.
Other Roof Venting Options
In circumstances where all the vents are in place but there is still not enough airflow to keep the attic cool, roofing companies may suggest installing one or more active vents to create more airflow.
Those vents include:
- Turbine Vents - Round, swirling exhaust vents run on wind power that are positioned higher up on the roof to promote air movement and help hot air to escape the various roof vents.
- Power Vents - Exhaust vent fans that run on electricity or solar power to create upward air movement by drawing hot air out and increasing airflow to the other vents.
In Summary
Getting roof ventilation right requires skill and the ability to gauge when the natural flow of air is not enough to protect a roofing installation.
The best way to achieve good attic ventilation is to hire an experienced roofing contractor who can assess the existing vents and determine whether they are working well together or if the addition of more or different vents might help.