Roof venting serves three main purposes for your Cincinnati area home. During cold weather, the primary purpose is to maintain a cold temperature on the roof to avoid ice dams resulting from melting snow that immediately refreezes, forming ice. Proper roof venting also allows for the removal of moisture that rises from the living space into the attic. When moisture accumulates in the attic, damage to the roof structures can occur and mold can form. During summer months, roof vents allow hot air to escape from the attic, lessening the load on air conditioning systems while making the living space more comfortable. Are ridge vents right for your home? And how do they help with proper roof ventilation?
Ridge Vent Systems
A ridge vent runts the length of the roof peak, and used together in combination with soffit vents, they allow the warm, moist air that naturally rises from the home, though the attic, and up under the roof to flow easily out from the roof and into the surrounding area. Without these vents, hot air cannot escape the home because the hot air collects under the roof surface, creating a pressure bubble that prevents outside air from being exchanged with the warm air under the roof. Air movement is important for efficient attic ventilation. Ridge vents create a continuous airflow along the underside of the roof and remove moisture and heat.
Removing heat under your roof and in your attic is important because attic temperatures can be as high as 150 degrees in the summer. This highly heated air can damage shingles and the structures of the roof and can make cooling the home more costly. Heat and moisture combine to damage trusses, rafters, roof decking and shingles.
Since ridge vents work year-round, they will also prevent excess moisture buildup that can accumulate in the attic resulting in mildew, mold and wood rot. The moisture released from breathing, showering, cooking, and other household activities will rise into the attic, and while this problem exists year-round it has a greater impact during the winter months when outside air is dryer and people spend more time indoors.
A ridge vent runs the length of the roof peak. Ridge vents are available in many different styles and they can blend into the roof and often make the home more attractive. The construction of a ridge vent can vary, but years of research has demonstrated one particular design is the most efficient. This design incorporates external baffles with an internal weather filter. This design allows air to escape, but it prevents rain, snow and animals from entering the attic.
Working With Soffit Vents
As stated above, the ridge vent is only half of the ventilation solution because it needs a continuous air supply from vents in the soffit to work properly. This combination works because cooler air enters the attic from the soffit vents and “washes across” the underside of the roof resulting in lower pressure under the peak of the roof which results in the ridge vent pulling the air up and out from the attic.
Cincinnati Ridge Vent Roofing Installation
Incidentally, the best roofing companies know there is a ratio for determining the correct number of soffit vents required for a ridge vent. Here at Harper, our professional Cincinnati roofers can determine the type and number of vents that your home requires for an ideal ventilation solution. Harper Siding and Roofing provides detailed roof vent estimates so call or email us today!