How To Vent A Roof Without Soffit

Thankfully there are some ways around this dilemma.

How to vent a roof without soffit.

For more information on ventilation and moisture control read this article i wrote on proper attic ventilation it s my position that you should have a proper ventilation system in your attic and that you should always take the time to air seal the floor of the attic. When hot air rises up through the soffit venting it then keeps rising all the way up to the ridge vent. A ridge vent without a soffit vent doesn t work and here s why. This creates a natural suction phenomenon where the ridge vent is sucking air out of the soffit vents creating a natural ventilation cycle.

The main idea of the ridge vent is to act together with soffit venting to properly ventilate the attic. By virtue of their design and location on the roof ridge vents are predominantly exhaust devices. Install special roof intake venting products that work at the lower edge of the roof decking underneath the first course of shingles. Venting solutions for roofs with no overhang or soffit.

Warming trends in january and again in april cause the roof strate to warm and evidently i had condensation ptoblrms no soffit vents but do have small gable end vents. Smart vent a special roof eaves vent product that provides a 3 4 opening about 6 above the top of the roof drip edge. Two simple alternatives to soffit vents can be installed with little more than a circular saw and a hammer. I reshingle this past year and pulled out old r14 insulation and retaped as many as visually possible areas of vapour barrier leaks cuts in material etc.

Even without soffit venting it is important to provide an air gap at the soffit level to help keep the roof deck dry. Drip edge vents hang out several inches past the edges of the. The important thing to remember is the air must flow through the attic to the roof vents somewhere near the ridge of the roof.