Proper Attic Venting Reduces Energy Cost
Find out why choosing the best attic venting for your home is so important.
Attic venting is a very inexpensive way to reduce energy costs, prolong roof life and make your living space more comfortable. Research has proven that heat and moisture are an attic's worst enemy. Sadly, attic venting is often an overlooked aspect of building and maintaining a home. Choosing the best attic venting keeps your home healthy and energy efficient.
A well ventilated attic keeps a house cool and cuts down on air conditioning bills in the summer. In the winter it helps prevent the formation of ice dams and condensation. The best attic venting also helps to prolong the life of roof shingles.
The continuous ridge vent is a very popular choice for overall best attic venting. This system allows the natural flow of air along the roof rafters and the wind outside to create negative air pressure that draws air from the attic. Continuous ridge vents are the most energy-efficient method of exchanging attic air.
Best Attic Venting
Another type of best attic venting is fixed grilles. These are usually in soffits and high on gable ends of the home. These grilles allow air to pass through louvers. The venting ability depends on the size of the opening. Normal building codes usually require the total area of the opening to be at least 1/300 of the total square feet of attic space being ventilated.
Soffit vents come in three shapes, round, rectangular and perforated. The round style, called plug vents, is easier to install than the rectangular or strip grille vents. Continuous perforated soffit vents are manufactured in pre-formed sheets of vinyl or aluminum.
Remember the floor of your attic is the ceiling of your finished living space below. Even with proper attic insulation oven-like temperatures of 125 degrees and higher can radiate through to your living space below. Reducing air temperatures to increase cooling efficiency is not the only reason for choosing the best attic venting. You also need attic venting to allow airflow to carry away moisture that rises from your living space below.
Even if a vapor retardant is used to lessen moisture from cooking, washing and other household operations it can still collect in the attic. Moisture trapped in your attic can foster wood rot, drip puddles into insulation and ceiling drywall. That's even more reason to make sure you choose the best attic venting.
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