We recently discussed an array of products you can use for attic exhaust and intake to obtain a balanced roof ventilation system. One topic we covered lightly, that we wanted to go into more detail about, was the commonly found problem of short-circuiting your roof ventilation system. Below you will find a perfect example of a roof that will experience a higher level of degradation than normal.
Short-circuit ventilation system
Only The Strongest Survive
In the picture above the roof system is using a ridge vent and wind turbine for attic exhaust. Regardless of the amount of attic intake this roof is receiving, having two different attic exhaust products will cause this home and roof to experience heating and cooling problems. Unfortunately utilizing more than one type of attic exhaust product will cause one to act as intake and the other as exhaust, leaving large areas of the attic unventilated and increasing the potential for possible weather infiltration problems. The perception would be that the more exhaust you have the cooler your roof is going to be or the less moisture buildup your roof will experience. This simply isn’t the case and will cause exactly the opposite to happen to incorporate several different types of exhaust or intake.
Having a short-circuited roof ventilation system is commonly found in homes where the consumer is misinformed about the impact of their roof ventilation decisions. The worst thing you can do is start adding additional can vents or wind turbines because your home feels like it’s on fire during the summer. Incorrect roof ventilation can and will destroy your roof. Don’t make the same mistake as the homeowner above did, be informed and be proactive.