We have a problem with snow in the roof. I think it is probably coming in from the gable vent. I think that when the wind or rain is blowing hard it must come right in, hit a framing member and collect.
Has anyone had success putting a fine mesh screen on the vent to keep it from blowing in?
Did that adversley affect the ventilation in the summer?
From building boxes and fitting face frames to installing doors and drawers, these techniques could be used for lots of cabinet projects.
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Replies
I don't know a thing about snow being from the lower south but it is very common to put screen material on gable ends to keep out bugs, bees and critters. No effect during the summer that I know of and this is an area that is continually in the nineties with 100% humidity.
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A screen vent is good for keeping bugs out.
Dad remembers sleeping up in the attic with his brothers at the farm in Asheville, waking up with the blankets covered in snow, just blown in through the cracks.
Why you want to mess with memories like that?
Forrest - sentimental
Cover over the inside of the gable vents with plastic, making sure you somehow detail the bottom edge to drain outside. Install ridge vents. If snow is getting in there, what makes you think rain doesn't come in too? Gable end vents don't do a good job at ventilating or keeping the elements out.
I've seen snow come in through ridge vents too.
I'm not gonna make the statement that snow never comes in ridge vents, and some of it depends on wheather the ridge vents have a filter material built in - some don't. My SWAG though is that it is at least 5 times more common with gable end vents.
what is your situation do you have a gable end vent and vented soffits. Or do you have gable end vents, vented soffits and ridge vents.
gable end vents and vents in the soffits.
well I guess a fine mesh screen is going to do the job and It won't affect your ventilation. Because the gable vents that we have in our local hardware stores are all equipped with it and I have never seen that problem.
I have seen snow come into one attic with the unfiltered ridge vents where roofing contractors installed ridge vent on the roof without sealing the existing gable vents it created a downdraft from the ridge whent the wind was in the right direction.
I read somewhere that tacking a furnace filter or filter material to the inside of the gable vent could prevent or minimize this problem. Haven't tried it myself.