Attic Air Circulation

If there s blown in insulation like ours rake back the fluffy stuff with a 3 or 4 ft long 1 x 6 or use a garden rake or hoe.

Attic air circulation.

Intake vents located at the lowest part of the roof under the eaves allow cool. Static roof line vents are effective for ventilation but generally aren t recommended due to issues with leaks. That said venting an attic is not always a complete energy efficient solution. Proper insulation and air sealing also keeps attics cold in winter by blocking the entry of heat and moist air from below.

These ice dams form when warm attic air melts the snow on the roof and the water refreezes along the colder edge of the roof. Attic ventilation works on the principle that heated air naturally rises primarily utilizing two types of vents. That means air can t flow from the soffit vents to the roof vents. The ice traps water behind it allowing the water to seep back under the shingles and leak through the roof.

During the summer soffit and gable vents draw cooler air from outside the house to replace hot air that collects in. If your attic is well insulated the insulation might be plugging the spaces between rafters just above exterior walls. Fans and vents may be installed on the roof system that will draw the air out of the attic space and exhaust it to the exterior. The insulation will resist heat transfer into the house.

Proper air circulation in the attic is all about preventing moisture buildup. Whole house fans powered attic fans. The solution is to add baffles which allow air to flow past the insulation photo 9. Soffit vents may leave air trapped at the top of your attic.

As the attic space warms up from the irradiation of the sun the ventilation port opens wider to allow the solar fan to move more warm stale air out of the attic area. Solar attic fans do just that. Most solar attic fans are surface mounted meaning that they are installed directly through the roof surface where they are most efficient. Baffles are available at home centers.

Gable vents may circulate air through only a small percentage of your attic. If the attic is insulated with fiberglass batts just pull back any that are blocking the flow of air. Attic ventilation works best in mild to cold climates. These fans may be controlled by a switch or a thermostat which detects heat build up in the attic space and automatically exhausts the attic space.