5 Easy Ways Of Venting & Insulating An Attic Properly
Adding insulation for warmth before knowingly allowing cold air to enter the attic through vents, may seem different to what is usual or expected, however, this combination is the key when it comes to a durable as well as energy-efficient home. During the winter, allowing a natural flow of outdoor air in order to ventilate the attic will help keep it cold, minimizing the potential for ice damming. Proper insulation as well as air sealing will also keep attics cold in winter by obstructing the entry of heat and moist air from below. During the summer, natural air flow in a well-vented attic will move super-heated air out of the attic, safeguarding roof shingles as well as removing moisture. The insulation will withstand the action or effect of heat transfer into the house. The most common mistake homeowners make at the time of installing insulation is to block the flow of air at the eaves. Make sure never cover attic soffit vents with insulation, instead use rafter vents and soffit vents in order to maintain airflow.
Way 1: Attic Fan Ventilation
- Attic fan is a kind of fan that usually helps you in cooling hot attics by getting in cooler outside air from attic vents including soffit & gable and leaving hot air to the outside.
- However, if soffit vents have been blocked by your attic and is not properly sealed from the rest of the house, then it is highly possible that attic fans will pull cool conditioned air up out of the house as well as into the attic. This, in turn, will use more energy as well as make your air conditioner work harder, which, as a result, will more probably increase your summer utility bill.
- You also don't want your unfinished attic cooled by your air conditioner, therefore, you need to prevent this by following the air sealing as well as insulation strategies & you have to make sure that the attic is properly ventilated using passive vents & natural air flow.
Way 2: Installing Rafter Vents
- If you are looking to entire cover & protect your attic floor with insulation out to the eaves, then the best option is to install rafter vents, also known as insulation baffles. In order to make sure that you get the best performance from your insulation, it is important to have complete coverage of the attic floor including sealing air leaks.
- Rafter vents usually makes sure that the soffit vents are clear & there is a channel for outside air in order to move into the attic at the soffits and out through the gable or ridge vent. When it comes to installing the rafter vents, you need to staple them directly to the roof decking.
- Rafter vents are available in 4-foot lengths and 14-1/2 and 22-1/2 inch widths for different rafter spacing. You need to place rafter vents in your attic ceiling in between the rafters at the point where your attic ceiling connects with your attic floor. As soon as they are in place, position the batts or blankets, or blow insulation, right out to the very edge of the attic floor.
Note: Blown insulation may need an extra block in order to prevent insulation from being blown into the soffit. A piece of rigid foam board positioned on the outer edge of the top plate works exceptionally well for this.
Way 3: Add Soffit Vents
- Soffit are generally the planks that connect the bottom of your roof overhang to your home's exterior walls. They usually hide the roof beams, however, when properly vented, they can play a very crucial role when it comes to attic ventilation.
- Soffit vents gives an opening for outside air to enter the attic from below. When paired with roof vents, they usually create a smooth system that will help air to flow into, up and out of the attic.
- There are generally two types of soffit vents: rectangular and continuous. With rectangular vents, openings are typically cut out of the wood beams of your home before placing a vent in that opening. Continuous venting means that you have vented soffit completely around the attic area. Like roof vents, you also need to check & maintain the soffit vents occasionally in order to keep them clear.
Way 4: Install Gable Vents
- For some attics, only roof as well as soffit vents may not provide enough ventilation. Installing gable vents may help & provide an extra airflow needed. Positioned at the gable ends of the roof, these vents often have controllable openings oriented in order to drive air out of the attic.
- Some homes only have gable vents, which, more often than not, are not enough. If your home only has gable vents & no other vents, like soffit vents or roof vents, then you will probably need to add other forms of ventilation.
Way 5: Use Fans To Improve Airflow
- The majority of the attic ventilation solutions are entirely dependent on hot air naturally rising. However, this passive ventilation may not be sufficient if you are particularly living in an hot or humid climate. Fans offer supplementary ventilation when it comes to dealing with these situations.
- Powered by a long-established electric connection or solar panels, fans can be used to push air out of the attic. Some can be activated through a thermostat that automatically starts the fan as soon as the attic gets too warm, while others are manually controlled by a switch.