I have a ranch house built in the 50s and while I thought it had soffit venting, turns out someone just installed vented vinyl channels over the solid wood. The house currently has a gable at one end (approximately 3ft x 5ft), no gable at the other end. It also has an attic fan near the ridge about mid point of the house, maybe a bit closer to the end that has no gable.
The house will need a new roof soon and I’m wondering what I should do with respect to attic ventilation because the roofers and AC guys I have had over all say different things. Oh yea… I have an attic run AC unit up in the attic as well.
Is the existing single gable with the fan enough ventilation? Should I cut soffits and eliminate the fan in favor of a ridge vent when re-doing the roof? Close up the gable as well?
I’m curious what people have to say because I have never seen a house with a single gable, so maybe it’s enough air.
Thanks,
Joe
Replies
Any response should be based upon more information than you've given. Absent that, try to provide at least a net free vent area of all ventilation openings of 1/150th of the horizontal area of the attic, with reasonable cross flow to eliminate stagnant pockets of air. Sometimes attics that have sufficient difference in height between the lower vents and the upper vents can have adequate ventilation with 1/300th net free vent area of the attic 'floor' area. You might consider installing a continuous ridge vent before the roofing is redone.
First, what does "turns out someone just installed vented vinyl channels over the solid wood" mean??
In general, ridge vents are far superior to gable vents, though there are no doubt exceptions.
Thanks for the responses. My vinyl comment was meant for the soffits. They are solid wood soffits that someone just covered with vinyl. I had roofers come over and say that I should pull back the insulation from the soffits so that you could see daylight.... now I know why you cannot.
One other note is the attic is 1500 sq ft