Replies

1. 
   a_bateman | Oct 14, 2000 09:01pm | #1

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   Hi Don:

   I am in the same position that you are. I am not a builder. I have gotten many different opinions on the venting question. One point that seems to be missed is that (in my case) my single manufacture(3 tab asphalt) Will not warranty an un-vented roof. It seems venting keeps the roof deck cool in the winter, assuming proper insulation, preventing snow melting. It also keeps the roof deck cool in the summer extending the life of shingles and roof deck.
   My next problem is that my carpenters (who did not want to vent) do not want to use felt under the shingles (some kind of conspiracy of the roofing manufactures to make you buy product.) Felt is not required by code on my 12/12 roof, but it seems like a good idea to me.
   Don't be surprised by heated responses to in these areas.

   Alan

1. 
   Steve_Zerby | Oct 15, 2000 12:49am | #2

   *Don,Check FHB #125 (I think). The article was on insulating with cellulose. It was authored by Fred Lugano, who used to post here regularly.Venting is a hot topic here. Check the archives for the gist of it. Steve

1. 
   Don_Reinhard | Oct 15, 2000 04:10am | #3

   *Alan: You think you have carpenter problems - mine wants to be a physicist! Keeps talking about anti-matter. Darn good carpenter, however. I've won several argumentrs by reminding him that I am footing the bills, and if I don't violate code, do it my way. I'm having a Gerard stone coated steel roof put on a Gambrel roof. Impervious to hail, wind, fire (but not bankrupty). Has to have felt under it. Also is supposed to be vented. Argument over venting is w/ carpenter and soffit vents. He doesn't approve of anything more modern than a 2X4 and big nails. I know I read something about it in FHB, but can't recall when. Venting is a necessity - but I don't think that the silly little soffits and ridge vents are adequate. We had a house in Etlanner, Jawja w/ a steep roof about like yours. It was vented in the conventional way, but also had a thermostatically controlled vent fan about 12" in dia. One April, it got hotter than the 7th furnace of Hell in the upstairs and the A/C wouldn't compensate. Matter of fact, the A/C air was about 95 degrees. Went into attic space and temp was over 130! Fan wasn't on. Replaced fan, and temp dropped to near ambient in about 30 min. My last experience w/ roofing was in 1950 in Miami. My dad built a house w/ a built up roof. Felt had to be nailed through tin caps. At 14, my job was to put tin caps one hammer head distance apart. That roof survived many bad hurricanes. Couldn't blow off - it weighed too much.Don

1. 
   Don_Reinhard | Oct 15, 2000 04:44am | #4

   *Steve: That sounds about right. But - I can only find issues 124 & 126. Got a bracket on it! Have to hunt through my archives of piles of paper.Tried searching the FHB archives. No luck so far.Thanks for the tip.Don

2. 
   Don_Reinhard | Oct 15, 2000 04:44am | #5

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   Help! I'm building a house with a gambrel roof. We (my REAL carpenter & I) are at the point that it is time to put up the soffit, including the traditional vent. I recall reading in the last yr (My sum total of subscription to Fine Homebuilding) an article by an iconoclast (hate to bring in religion) who suggested roof venting was superfluous (complete w/blue tights and red cape). He gave some very logical, cogent support for his points. Can anyone out there in cyberland tell me where it was? Pls save me from a page by page search. I've tried a search in the index on line, and only came up w/venting a roof of a porch.