need compelling reason for ridge vent
C1802362
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
A friend of mine asked my advice on re-roofing her house. I gave her the standard rundown for her place: full strip of the old roof, 30 lb felt, good quality shingles, full nail schedule, ridge vent… (that’s the way I’ve done my roofs on the house and barns)
The only thing she wouldn’t accept was the ridge vent advice. She says the ridge vent would interfere with the attic vent fan she put in at one of the gable ends. I’ve tried to explain the benefit of the passive vent system, how it won’t conflict with the thermostatically controlled gable fan…..
Does anyone have any suggestions of some logical argument I could use to convince my friend to add the ridge vent as long as she has to redo the roof?
Art
Replies
So this is a conventional roof package with trusses or stick framed rafters, attic space and insulation between ceiling joists?
I'd probably put a ridge vent in, but she may be right. Is it necessary? If she's already handled it with active ventilation do you really need passive?
Scott.
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exactly as you say....
She's right. Passive venting works in a passive design. But if you put a vent in the ridge, and she turns on the fan, it will sukk its replacement air through the ridge instead of from the soffit vents
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I think she's right about the ridge vent feeding the fan, therefore, the only logical argument is if she had a ridge vent (assuming she has soffit/eave vents), she won't need to use the attic fan (saving $ on electric bill). Passive venting done right should keep the attic sufficiently cool in the summer without needing the fan.
Does the roof have other vents in it already? If so, it's probably those turtle back roof vents. Women often don't care for clutter. Once you point out the turtle vents and how cluttery they look, they often see the visual appeal of the ridge vent. However, as others have said, she could be right about a ridge not working with her fan.
>> She says the ridge vent would interfere with the attic vent fan she put in at one of the gable ends
She's got it backwards: the attic fan (which causes uneven and unpredictable air movement in the attic) will interfer with the relatively even soffit to ridge air flow/venting.
So: she can pay $$ to run the fan and get so-so venting, or she can save the $$, not run the fan, and get better air flow.
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As others have already stated, the ridge vent should not be installed if she intends to continue running the attic fan, as it could reverse the airflow through the ridge vent and increase the chances for rain or snow infiltration into the attic.
If she wants to save a little on the energy bill, she should block off/remove the attic fan and any other on-the-roof vents (like turtles) between the ridge vent and soffit vents.
What is the climate?
The attic fan won't help with condensation or ice damming problems in the winter.
I have two wind turbins and a power vent (with thermostat) on my house. I put ridge vents on a 600 sq ft apartment in the back. The apartment attic stays cooler than the house attic.
When I built the apt., I used perforated soffit board all around and installed the styrofoam air channels above the wall header plates.
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thermostatically controlled gable fan
the attic vent fan she put in at one of the gable ends
Is a single fan on one gable end that is controlled thermostatically going to turn on how often with a ridgevent newly incorporated into the roof?
Tell her with this new roof it is time to put a ridgevent in.
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the climate is central CT, and I don't remember what other vents she might have on the roof
If you have a ridge vent and want a fan get one of those UFO looking jobs.
If you want to keep a gable end fan... then no ridge vent.
I recently had my roofer remove the ridge vent and put shingles on the ridge. I have a powered roof fan and didn't want the fan pulling in super hot air from the top of the roof. The AC bill went down in the summer.
I also had many leaks from the ridge during Hurricane Gaston (75 mph winds and lots of rain) which gave us a direct hit two years ago. When Ernesto, which wasn't as bad, came by this year the roof was dry.
I know many people whose ridge vents leaked during Gaston. I would endorse anyone removing the ridge and capping the peak with shingles espescially in a high wind or hurricane prone location.
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