Proper Attic Ventilation And Insulation

At first it may seem odd to add insulation for warmth and then purposely allow cold air to.

Proper attic ventilation and insulation.

In addition insulation baffles must be installed at the point where the attic floor meets the roofline to prevent the attic insulation from migrating into the cavities and restricting the airflow from the soffit vents. About attic ventilation natural attic ventilation. Owens corning s raft r mate attic vent is an extruded polystyrene foam vent designed to assure unrestricted airflow from the soffit to the ridge vent. Attic fans are intended to cool hot attics by drawing in cooler outside air from attic vents.

That said air resistance and interference such as vent grates reduces the area of true ventilation. But if the floor is covered in plywood you can t stuff enough insulation beneath it to do the job sufficiently not even in warm climates. It may be a bit odd to just add insulation for warmth and then just allow cold air to get into your. Generally speaking you need a ratio of 1 300 where for every 300 square feet of ceiling space you need 1 square foot of attic ventilation.

The solution is to add baffles which allow air to flow past the insulation photo 9. Intake vents located at the lowest part of the roof under the eaves allow cool air to enter the attic. The soffit vents allow convective air movement from the soffits of the residence to the ridge vent. Baffles are available at home centers.

Hot air exhaust vents located at the peak of the roof allow hot air to escape. Proper attic ventilation attics should be insulated to r 38 which is approximately eighteen inches of insulation material. That means air can t flow from the soffit vents to the roof vents. If your attic is well insulated the insulation might be plugging the spaces between rafters just above exterior walls.

Plan to pull up the flooring and layer new insulation on top of the old. A radiant barrier is a high performance product that comes in a foil or spray insulation. The optional air stop or insulation block prevents loose fill insulation from filling the eave space during installation of cathedral ceiling or attic floors by closing off the opening. If there are portions of insulation that have been eroded down don t just slap some extra material on top.

Additionally raft r mate attic vent has an optional bend down air stop or insulation block at the top plate of the wall in one easy to install product. By using proper attic insulation and a radiant barrier you can deflect up to 97 percent of the sun s rays. Doing the job yourself. In other words the entire vent opening doesn t count as vented space.

An attic fan is used to cool down a hot attic by taking in cooler air from outside through attic vents. When you use this you are blocking not only the hot summer heat but the cold during the winter months. Attic ventilation works on the principle that heated air naturally rises primarily utilizing two types of vents.