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Guidelines: Roof
Ventilation
 Ventilation provides the conditions that allow air to
flow—out with the hot air and in with the cool air. When stale, overheated
air in your home or attic is vented out and fresh air is pulled in you have an
"air exchange."
Effective ventilation requires a
balancing act. You want to "wash" the entire attic by pulling air from the
intake vents low on the roof's edge, or in the soffit, to the vents at the
ridge in the high areas.
Ventilation should never be an
afterthought in constructing a home. Without proper ventilation, needless heat
and humidity can become serious problems, such as:
- Surplus heat and moisture can
cause attic and roof structures, plus shingles and paint to deteriorate
prematurely
- Excess heat causes air
conditioners to work more, consuming more energy and costing you more
money
- Extra moisture can lower the
R-value (R-value is heat resistance) of some insulation
- Excess moisture and humidity
enable mold, mildew and wood rot
- Proper ventilation is required to
validate warranty coverage for most roofing shingles.
House Roof Ridge Venting
 In independent
tests against competitive ridge vents, Air Vent products produced the
greatest amount of low pressure above the vent, which resulted in a greater
ability to exhaust air from the attic. Two unique features contribute to the
superior performance of Air Vent, making it the best roof ridge
vent:
- External Wind Baffle
deflects wind—even the slightest breeze—up and over the vent, creates
low pressure to "pull" air out of the attic, and help prevent windblown rains
and snow infiltration.
- Internal Weather Filter
deflects rain, snow and insects to provide a more complete weather barrier.
This filter is NOT treated with any oils or chemicals.
Unbaffled Ridge Vents:
 An unbaffled ridge vent
allows wind and elements to blow directly in through the ridge vent. Air
entering the vent can create pressure in the attic which prevents air and
moisture from being pulled out.- Wind and elements can blow
directly in through the ridge vent. Air entering the vent can create pressure
in the attic which prevents air and moisture from being pulled out.
The Simple Mathematics of a Balanced Ridge
Ventilation System:
A balanced ventilation system is one
that best employs three natural forces: air pressure, thermal effect and
diffusion. For every square inch of ridge (exhaust) vent you must balance it
with at least one-square inch or more of soffit (intake) vent. Most building
codes define a "balanced" ventilation system as one-square foot of ventilation
for every 300 square feet of attic floor space, with half the ventilation
represented by intake vents and half by by exhaust vents.
 For an attic ventilation system to work properly, the volume of
air intake must be equal to or exceed the air exhaust. With a
ridge vent system, intake vents must be placed low on the roof, usually
in the eaves. Years of research have proven that Air Vent ridge vents, combined
with under-eave venting, are the most efficient and effective system you can
install.
This balanced system provides greater
airflow than any other fixed vent—and it's the most attractive
system.
Ridge Vent Versus Roof Vent
Ventilation of Energy Efficient
Houses
What type of ventilation system is
right for you? Air Vent Inc. has provided a great online educational tool for
understanding the difference between ridge vents, power vents and
static vents; solar-powered vents, gable-mounted vents, louvers,
rotating turbine roof vents and more. Learn about the
types of vents now.
Aussie Roofing has the right vent
application for your roof type: whether composition shingles, dimensional
shingles, stone coated steel, cedar shakes, tile, slate or metal roofing. We
know what you need, and can do it! Give us a call today at (415)
472-2800 or fill in our Roofing Estimate
Form for improving your ventilation situation today!
   
California recently passed new
Attic Ventilation Codes for resisting the intrusion of
flames and embers into the home. This new law requires application to the new
code requirements only if the rafters are exposed at the time of re-roofing.
However, to better safeguard any home or business, upgrading your vents can
help to save your building during a wildfire.
Saving Homes with Flame and
Ember Resistant Vents™
 Aussie Roofing offers
Brandguard
Vents™ for residential and commercial buildings to meet the new flame
and ember resistant requirements. Conventional vent designs are vulnerable to
radiant heat sources, direct flame impingement, and lofted fire brands which
can attack your structure at its most vulnerable points—the vents. The
majority of wildfire damage is caused by fire embers well before, or after, the
front of the fire. Embers can fly directly into a home through the
vents.
Brent Berkompas, the owner/founder of
Brandguard Vents™, is a firefighter for the City of San Bernardino. While
fighting the 2003 and 2007 California wildfires, he saw firsthand the
susceptibility of thousands of homes to vent intrusion.
Structures burn from the inside out during wildfires.
Knowing that something must be done to prevent this, that's when his patented
baffle design was born.
The baffle design acts as a heat sink
and reduces the threat of fire brands entering through vent openings. The
baffle design also changes the flow of air and creates a heat trap, thwarting
damage from radiant heat sources. This design has comparable net-free vent area
to traditional vents and allows for sufficient exchange of moist
air—preventing mold problems.
- Patent pending design acts as a
heat sink
- Resists fire ember and direct
flame intrusion
- Helps prevent other sources of
fire and smoke damage
- Maximizes air
exchange
- For new and retrofit
buildings
Retrofit Fireplug
Products
Brandguard Vents'™ line of
Retrofit Fireplugs inserts easily over most existing Undereave/Soffit and
Foundation Vents. No need to remove your existing vent.
Step 1: Existing Mesh
Vent
Step 2: Apply adhesive
first
 Step 3: Insert Brandguard Vent™ over existing
Mesh
(For Gable End and Dormer Retrofits,
it is necessary to cut out old vent louvers first, prior to inserting
Brandguard Vents™.)
Every home will
have a better chance of survival with Brandguard Fire Prevention
Vents!
Give us a call at
Aussie Roofing today at (415) 472-2800, or fill in our
Roofing Estimate Form for improving your
ventilation situation right away!
Besides types of roof ridge vents,
Aussie Roofing can provide several venting options from
Air Vent,
Brandguard
Vents™, COR-A-VENT and
O'Hagin's
vents for your roofing needs.
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