Saturday, 21 November 2015

How A Roof Closure Vent Works

By Brenda Warner


It's surprising how things can be all around you and you may never know. Take a roof closure vent, for example. You may or may not have one, or know what one is, even. However, this nifty little gadget or system may be protecting you from all sorts of things - like a voided home warranty, or condensation problems where you can't see them, or birds getting into your attic.

Those of us who have no idea what this ventilation device does or why we would want one should understand a few basics. A roof is designed to withstand extremes of weather and temperature. People have traditionally used dark materials in cold regions (to attract and hold heat from the sun) and light-colored ones in hot ones, to send the sun's heat back up. This handles temperatures, but there are other considerations.

As air from inside the house rises, it carries moisture with it. The warmer the air, the more moisture it can hold. The air gets trapped beneath the cool roofing where the moisture can condense, causing rot, mold, and corrosion. By venting the space underneath the roof, this moist air can be drawn out and replaced by fresh, drier air from outside.

'Soffit' vents under the eaves of the house let air in. The closure vents higher up let air out. Wind moving across the top of the building is the activator of this exchange. As air flows out, moisture is taken out as well, before it can condense and cause problems of mold, rot, or corrosion. The process of venting a ranch-style home is fairly easy. Modern, many-gabled roofs make the process a lot more complicated.

There is another problem. Openings in roofing are great ways for bugs, birds, small climbing rodents, and the elements (rain and snow) to get inside your attic. Therefore you need vents with screening or baffles to keep them out. Well-designed venting systems keep everything out but air.

Check out the easy-to-install one piece units online if you need to vent an existing structure. They are simply stuck into place using their own adhesive strips. It's easiest to do this kind of installation at construction, when vents can be installed along the ridge of the house. Vents should be made of durable materials and can be guaranteed to last as long as the roofing itself.

Some people say that venting is not necessary or even counter-productive. Apparently many roofing manufacturers see value in the practice, though; not venting your roof can void the warranty. Venting is easiest during construction, although individual units can be installed at any time. Care must be taken that intake and outflow are balanced. If not enough air can be drawn in from outside, air will be pulled from the interior of the home. This increases energy costs.

What you want to do is get moisture-laden air out from under the roofing and draw drier air in. You also need to keep the creepy crawlies and the elements out. A good venting system will do both for you and extend the useful life of your roofing.




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