Does My Attic Need Ventilation

What does attic ventilation do for my home.

Does my attic need ventilation.

Attic ventilation should equal approximately 1 square foot of vent area for every 300 square feet of. That is openings doors windows and louvers to the outside should create a. The federal housing administration recommends at least 1 square foot of ventilation for every 300 square feet of attic space. Most building codes require a ratio of 1 150 ventilation space to attic floor space.

Ventilation of attic spaces is required by most building codes as well as by roofing material manufacturers and the national roofing contractors association nrca. Once they are in place you can then place the batts or blankets or blow insulation right out to the very edge of the attic floor. If your attic is enclosed california s building code states it should have cross ventilation. Roofing experts say the majority of u s.

This prevents hot air from seeping into your home and driving up the temperature in the living space which reduces the load on your air conditioner. Generally speaking you need a ratio of 1 300 where for every 300 square feet of ceiling space you need 1 square foot of attic ventilation. Intake vents located at the lowest part of the roof under the eaves allow cool. Attic ventilation works on the principle that heated air naturally rises primarily utilizing two types of vents.

In other words the entire vent opening doesn t count as vented space. You can also contact your local municipality to check on building code in your area. In cold climates the primary purpose of attic or roof ventilation is to maintain a cold roof temperature to control ice dams created by melting snow and to vent moisture that moves from the conditioned space to the attic ventilation acts to bypass the vapour barrier created by most roof membranes. Attic ventilation fans help cool air your attic by pushing out the stifling hot air from inside the attic and bringing in cool air from outside.

Attic ventilation is an intake and exhaust system that creates airflow designed to decrease the difference in temperature between the outdoor air and the air inside the attic. Determining what you need is simple all you need is the size of your house and a calculator. Rafter vents should be placed in your attic ceiling in between the rafters at the point where your attic ceiling meets your attic floor.