Ventilation is critically important when it comes to the health of your roof. The main purpose of the vents on your roof is to remove the hot air and moisture, as well as pollutants, from the attic space. This helps to ensure that the attic remains cooler in the summer and prevents moisture from damaging the roof and compromising the integrity of your home. In addition, roof ventilation helps to extend the life of the materials used in your roof structure.
There are several types of vents that can be utilized for ventilation. Each type of vent has its own advantages and disadvantages. Here, we will help you understand the different types of roof vents and the role that they play in protecting your roof.
Why Are Roof Vents So Important?
To ensure the health and safety of your home, it is crucial to have proper ventilation in place. If the attic is unventilated, it can result in temperatures reaching up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. This can cause serious damage to your home’s insulation, roofing materials, and even the framing. It can lead to extra moisture, which can result in mold and mildew growth. This can lead to respiratory problems and a variety of other health complications.
Roof vents help to keep the attic much cooler during the warm summer months and prevent moisture from building up. Roof vents also work to extend the life of your roofing materials by preventing them from deteriorating too quickly or overheating. There are several types of vents that you will find on your roof.
Soffit Vents
Soffit vents tend to be one of the most common types of vents that are installed in the soffit of the home. These vents are located in the overhang area and are made of either metal or plastic materials. They are typically attached to the soffit by nails or screws. These vents are able to be opened or closed in order to allow airflow. They also come in a variety of sizes to ensure the proper fit.
Soffit vents tend to be primarily used as intake vents for your roof. These vents are designed to draw in the cool air from the outdoors. This helps to remove hot air and moisture from the space in the attic. These vents are generally more effective when they are used with other types of roof vents, such as gable or ridge vents.
Ridge Vents
Ridge vents are installed on the peaks where the ridges of the roof. These vents are made of either metal or plastic material. Roofers will use screws or nails in order to attach these vents to the roof. Ridge vents work effectively when it comes to removing hot air and moisture from the inside of the attic space.
These vents are often used in conjunction with soffit vents, which allow the circulation of the air. Ridge vents tend to be most effective when they are used as the only type of exhaust vent in the roof system. This provides the ability for a continuous flow of air through the roof area from the soffits straight through the ridge and out of the attic space.
Gable Vents
If you see a vent located on the triangle walls of the roof, these ones are the gable vents. These vents are made of plastic or metal, and they are attached with nails or screws to the gables of the home. In some cases, gable vents are designed to be opened and closed. This allows for the flow of air.
Gable vents come in a variety of sizes in order to provide the proper fit. These vents are different from other types of roof vents as they are able to be used for both exhaust and intake ventilation.
Turbine Vents
Turbine vents are generally installed near the top peak or the ridge line of the roof. These vents have small turbines that continually spin when the wind blows across. As the turbine vent spins around, they pull air out of the attic space and release it into the outdoors.
Turbine vents work particularly well in high winds. However, they tend to be noisier than other types of ventilation and are generally not appropriate for all homes.
Power Vents
Power vents are a type of electric vent that is installed near the peak or ridgeline of the roof. These vents have small fans inside of them that blow air out of the attic space. Power vents work most effectively in areas that have high temperatures. These vents can be used to pull hot air from the attic even if there are no winds. Like turbine vents, power vents are not suitable for all homes.
Solar Vents
As you would imagine, solar vents are those that are powered by the sun. These vents are also installed near the peak or the ridgeline of the roof. These vents consist of small fans that continually blow air out of the attic space into the outdoors.
The solar vents work most effectively in areas with high temperatures due to the fact that they pull hot air from the attic, even if there are no winds. Solar vents tend to be some of the most environmentally friendly due to the fact that they do not actually use electricity.
Box Vents
Box vents are incredibly versatile for smaller areas due to their shape and size. Box vents are available in a variety of sizes. However, the most common size is 18 inches by 18 inches. Although box vents are not as effective as ridge vents when it comes to venting air from the attic, they can be installed in multiple locations on the roof, which proves them to be more versatile.
Let Our Team Help With Your Roof Vents
If you are interested in exploring the ventilation options available for your roof or scheduling an inspection of your current roof vents, feel free to reach out to our team at Martin & Sons LLC to schedule a free estimate to get started.