A well-ventilated attic is the key to many other processes that run in a house. An attic that is well designed, can reduce the build up of heat and cut the cooling costs in the long run.
If the right provisions for ventilation are in place, the warm air that seeps in during winters, is allowed to escape out. At all times, the attic needs to remain dry in order to stay protected from the ice dams. If your attic is ventilated right, the singles will have a longer life and be lesser bothersome to you.
Check your attic for the following four signs, in order to determine if the ventilation is correct or not.
- Check the roof and eaves, if the attic has no vents whatsoever, you sure need to add one. Vents can be of many times, look closely for ridged, continuous or gabled vents.
- On touching the ceiling of an attic on a hot summer day, if you feel that it is burning up, a vent is required asap. A ceiling that heats up will increase your cooling bills tremendously.
- When it snows if you notice thick ridges of snow and ice, your ventilation needs a fresh assessment. It only means that the warm air from the living quarters is getting trapped in the attic, and does not have a vent out.
- If the warm air that is escaping, is leaving behind a trail of condensation on the rafters and roof sheathing, trouble is not far. A well-ventilated attic will show no signs of frost and dampness.
The easiest method to fix tour roof and attic, is to place roof vents near the peak of the roof. One can choose vents in different shapes and sizes. We are today talking about rectangular vents that are the easiest to place.
Tools required:
Besides vents, add to your list nails in 1-1/4 and ½ inch size. Get yourself an easy to use utility knife blade, a dust mask and a tube or two of roofing cement. A jigsaw will also be required for cutting out the holes. And before you think you can get this done in a jiffy, let us warn you that this is a full day job; so schedule it on a cool and pleasant weekend day.
Determine the number of vents:
The number of vents you will need can be determined by the area of the attic. Ideally for every 150 sq ft of area, there should be at least one vent.
By now if you’re feeling that this is too intricate a job for you, let us assure that it is as simple as cutting holes and placing vents in them. Mark the locations before you start and ensure that they are not placed on or near the rafters. The vents should ideally be placed on the same side of the roof.
If your roof happens to run parallel to the street, then place them on the back – in order to make them less prominent. Wear a dust mask at all times and in order to avoid an accidents, and do lay planks across the rafters.
Step 1 – Mark the locations of the vents
The nails should be centered at 18inches from the peak of the roof. Now drive the nails up through the sheathing and shingles to mark the locations of the vents.
Step 2 – Cutting of the shingles
Start by cutting the shingles with a utility knife. Remember to cut out the area almost an inch more that the opening of the vent. If you are not sure, draw a line with chalk.
Step 3 – Cutting of the hole
Using a jigsaw, start by cutting a hole in the sheathing of the roof. A starter hole will allow you to insert the blade easily.
Step 4 – Removing of all obstructions
The shingles can be separated by inserting a pry bar between the self sealing adhesive. Remove all the shingles that might cause an obstruction at the time of inserting the vent.
Step 5 – Placement of the vent
Now slide the vent into place and ensure that it is a firm fit. Lower edges that can be nailed with the help of roofing nails.
Step 6 – Installation of the vent
Finish the project by applying roof cement at the joints where the shingles are meeting the vents. You will also need to apply some cement in order to secure the shingles to the base of the vent.
