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I am currently building a new home. I want to use the attic as (heated) living space. Are there ways to build an attic without ventalation?
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I guess you could, but you're looking for trouble.I just heard a guy the other day talking about a house with no attic ventilation.He said the whole roof from top plates up was rotten.Better ventilate it.
*Wow, we've really gotta get on those Taunton folks to improve their SEARCH function.Joseph, struggle with the search here and read all about roof venting. You will find that it is a very much talked about subject with widely differing views held.It is really too bad that Fine Homebuilding doesn't provide everyone's location when they post because this is one topic that is dependent on that kind of information. What works for an building in Texas vs. New Hampshire vs. Ohio vs. Ontario will all have differences. Also, the type of building construction will have an impact. Keep these things in mind when you hear anectdotal things like, "I just heard a guy the other day talking about a house with no attic ventilation.He said the whole roof from top plates up was rotten."
*I remember reading in another thread today or yesterday. Some shingle manufacturers will void the warranty if the roof is not vented. Check your supplier to confirm if this is a problem...
*We just finished "cathedralizing" our attic, using Icynene. With our original fiberglass insulated, ventilated attic, our roof only made it 15 years before the shingles went. Even with 25 year shingles, the manufacturer did "not" make good on the warranty. Personally, I'd not worry too much about shingle warranty, and concentrate on a system that makes sense to you.
*Sue V. - I'm curious about your decision to "cathedralize" the roof. Had you done research on the effects of blocking air flow around the roof decking by using Icynene? Did the Icynene installer have any information? The reason I'm asking is that I'm considering using Icynene in several places in my home where there currently is little or no insulation (a 72-yr old home in the Philadelphia area) and am cosnidering doing what you did to your roof.
*We did our research. We made the decision when we started stripping the roof. Our garage (unheated) had two layers of shingles. The top layer was added when the first layer was only five years old. In the process of stripping the top layer, we noticed the original shingles were in perfect condition. Why did the top layer (only 15 years old) break down, while the original shingles (now 20 years old) held up so well? Our conclusion was UV light, not ventilation.
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I am currently building a new home. I want to use the attic as (heated) living space. Are there ways to build an attic without ventalation?