Home Attic Ventilation Requirements

Typically building codes include minimum requirements applicable to attic ventilation.

Home attic ventilation requirements.

Prior to installing the ridge vent a 1 inch wide strip of roof decking is cut out along both sides of the ridgeline to allow for air movement through the vent. One static vent style is the turbine vent which uses wind to power its enclosed fan all it takes is a light breeze to rotate the blades and suck heat out of the attic view example on the home. The following are the requirements taken directly from the irc. Venting a homes attic is a very important best building practices will say 50 at the ridge and 50 at the soffits unobstructed.

Attic ventilation is an important part of keeping your building healthy. Attic ventilation fans help cool air your attic by pushing out the stifling hot air from inside the attic and bringing in cool air from outside. It is important that air movement occurs and is not impeded by any framing members of the. The majority of the requirements related to attic ventilation have not changed much from the previous editions.

This means that if you have a 1500 sq attic then you would need at least 10 sf of ventilation. Let owens corning roofing help you calculate exactly how much ventilation you will need for a healthy and balanced attic with our 4 step ventilation. This cap features both a back draft damper and bird screen preventing outside air from entering the home and birds and small pests from entering duct work. It is compatible with 3 or 4 ductwork and includes a 3 to 4 adapter for convenience.

The ventilation amount and opening size requirements can be found in section 806 roof ventilation of chapter 8 roof ceiling construction. The roofing industry also has practical guide lines for attic ventilation. A ridge vent is a ventilation strip that is placed along the ridgeline of the home. Proper attic ventilation can be an impor tant performance consideration when design ing and installing steep slope roof systems.

Federal housing authority recommends a minimum of at least 1 square foot of attic ventilation evenly split between intake and exhaust for every 300 square feet of attic floor space. This prevents hot air from seeping into your home and driving up the temperature in the living space which reduces the load on your air conditioner. As a certified licensed home inspector it is not correct to say too much ventilation is bad for an attic unless rain moisture is getting in. Proper attic ventilation consists of a balance between air intake at your eaves soffits or fascias and air exhaust at or near your roof ridge.

Code requirements the international building code.