Roof vents allow air to pass in an out of your home. Lack of these airways can lead to several issues, including excess moisture, rotting wood and mould formation. Additionally, you must install the right kind of ventilation to avoid ice dam formations. Here is a detailed look at the types of roof ventilation that you can choose from for your house.
Intake and Exhaust Vents
Broadly, roof vents are classified into two types. They are-
- Exhaust vent– The main aim for these vents is to flush the air trapped in your roofs and attics.
- Intake vent- Intake vents suck in the air into your attics and roofs.
To keep your roof and attic healthy, you need to install both these vents to ensure proper air circulation. Regardless of whether you have metal roofs or slate roofs, perfect air circulation is vital to maintaining the structural integrity of your home.
Listed below are some of the common roof vent types.
- Gable vents- These vents come with openings that sit on the surface of roof gables. Gable vents can augment the functionality of exhaust vents and are available in various shapes, such as rectangular, square and circular.
- Ridge vents- Installed on the top of the roof ridge, these vents follow the line on either side. Such vents are more common on the roofs of factories and manufacturing plants, due to their greater ability to expel heated air and gas. Roof with ridge vents generally has slate ridge roofs. This maintains the overall uninterrupted look of the roofs.
- Soffit vents- A form of intake vents, soffit vents draw in air to promote the movement of air inside the structure. As the name suggests, soffit vents are installed in the eaves and soffit regions of your roof. These vents can easily supplement other vents at home and match the overall design of modern homes. Due to their smaller size soffit vents are often barely visible to onlookers.
- Power attic vents- power attic vents help keep your house cool and is especially useful during the summer days. Connected to the thermostat, power vents turn on when the temperature inside the house exceeds a certain threshold. The hot air from inside the house is expelled, which cools the temperature.
- Whirlybirds- Similar to power vents, the whirlybirds have wind turbines attached to them. Therefore, instead of relying on electricity, whirlybirds use wind energy to cool your house. As the winds turn the turbine, the whirlybirds vent expels the hot air. Even though you do not need a power source for the vent, occasional maintenance and cleaning are mandatory.
- Box vents- Box vents are placed at the roof’s ridge. Depending on the principal of convection, these vents are similar to regular off-ridge vents. You should install several box vents when looking for the desired result.
Consider these options when it comes to roof ventilation. Proper implementation of roof vents can not only cause better air circulation at home but also prevents your house from undergoing natural wear and tear. If you are unsure about roof ventilation or how how your roof is affecting the temperature and climate in your home, please contact the experts at The Slate Roofing Company today.