Roof Ridge Vent Without Soffit Vents

Having one without the other is not doing you any good.

Roof ridge vent without soffit vents.

If when you finally get around to venting the attic properly with ridge and soffit vents the ridge shingles can be removed and a ridge vent installed instead. Remember your main goal is to get air moving through the attic by entering the attic space down low near the overhang eave level and leaving the attic near the peak of the roof. The effect of ridge vents for the roof depends upon the energy efficient nature of the structure. You ll be able to move air throughout the attic without the use of fans or turbines when enough space is given to this vent design.

A ridge vent without a soffit vent doesn t work and here s why. By virtue of their design and location on the roof ridge vents are predominantly exhaust devices. While this provides an outlet for air flow it does not provide an inlet to complete the convection cycle needed for proper ventilation. Rose a research architect at the building research council at the university of illinois replies.

Ridge vents do not always provide the proper ventilation in some homes. We see many older homes with no attic ventilation and some that have recently had ridge vents installed. As the wind blows across the roof of your house it sort of swoops up at the ridge and the ridge depressurizes and the air that s in the attic sort of gets sucked out at the ridge. For example you can use ridge vents mushroom cap vents upper gable end vents fans high mounted attic fans etc.

Ridge vents are the best steep slope roof top ventilation system in use today but are invalid without proper amount of soffit vent and layout. See here s how ridge and soffit vents work together. During the reroofing have the roofers cut through the sheathing to provide the slots necessary for a ridge vent. For an attic without soffit vents you may have the option to use gable vents instead.

Soffit vents when paired with ridge vents provide complete ventilation for your whole roof surface. Then simply roof over the slots.