Got a Hot Attic? #1 Hot Attic Solution for Your Home | Tip to Cool Your Attic | Ask A Ninja #40

[@jban4457]

I've been watching your content for a while, usually give helpful information, but this video raises a few questions... #1 When you say that the AC-cooled lower level pulls hot air down, are you talking about ONLY via (uninsulsted) attic-located ducts? #2 Can the solar power vents try to suck air from the living space? (perhaps you add more soffit vents to avoid that problem) #3 Where are the solar fans located? At the ridge?? #4 If the solar vents are in a seperate location, might that disrupt the intake from the soffit?

[@bigdougscommentary5719]

I simply put an off the shelf box fan in the vent for the attic and use a temperature activated switch to turn it on and off. This comes on when the outside ambient temp lowers to allow cool air to be drawn into the attic.

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Great idea, thank you for sharing.

[@jimmiemacd3603]

Thanks buddy. I think you’ve been the most helpful out of all the KZbin videos I’ve watched on attic insulation. I keep hearing about the soffit vents and solar fans but it seems to me like just having fans on your soffit vents would work better than the solar fan. Anyways I need to add the radiant barrier and all new insulation do you know the safest way of removing the old insulation btw? It’s the old 70’s black lung cancer causing insulation. Also would it help even more to put that R5.5 styrofoam boards in the rafters and then the radiant barrier or no? Thanks for all the info.

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Jimmie, thanks for watching. Detecting asbestos insulation with an asbestos test kit is recommended if you suspect asbestos insulation may contain the potentially toxic mineral. Despite there being vital identifiers for asbestos insulation, asbestos removal professionals are the only ones who can test and identify asbestos. Let us know if you have any other questions. Have a happy and blessed day!

[@crazysquirrel9425]

I want vents to let out heat in hot weather but CLOSED when the weather gets cool. No plastic, NO electricity. Bi-metal clock spring type if possible or a remote manual open/close rod or chain. I want to trap as much heat in the winter as I can and none in the hot weather.

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Thanks for sharing

[@jenh678]

wouldn't you be trapping in moisture to the attic in the winter? I think you still need air flowing.

[@bekindrewind5513]

With new homes, are builders not required to seal around the lights in the attic. So that air does not go in the home?

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Some areas in the country have different codes. We always suggest to check with local code authorities as they provide the best insight.

[@redsresearch]

why does a solar vent need ridge vent? why not just soffit vents???

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

If that is all you have then soffit vents should work fine.

[@redsresearch]

@CrawlSpaceNinja wouldn't it be best to pull air from soffit so it pulls the attic air up and out? if you had a ridge vent wouldn't it just circulate thro the ridge and solar vent?

[@alhavana9426]

2 story house, have a new roof but no ridge vent, attic gets soo hot and the upper floor bedrooms gets soo hot you cant be upstairs and only every other bay has birdblock soffit holes,so my ? is if i drill each bays birdblocking with 3 2" holes and put cardboard baffles on each of the whole bays to the birdblocking holes without insulation under the baffles,do you think that will bring the temp down in the attic emough to make the rooms upstairs more comfortable? Or what about spray foaming each bay?

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Great question! More ventilation should help. Radiant barrier should also help with keeping your attic cooler. Check out our most recent videos in this attic playlist. We talk a lot about why your attic gets so hot and solutions for cooling it down efficiently. kzbin.info/aero/PLxsYiAum9ovz95G4PMLgpRxQMvwOrFhde

[@larrycroft470]

Michael you have done a tremendous amount of study in your field. Your videos are the most helpful for the DIY or someone looking for an HONEST professional to help them with their attic and crawl space. I wish your company was in my area of Georgia.

[@RG-hf4et]

Come to NJ, please!!

[@joeygee11]

I find that many attic fans are for shingle roofs. Also, my concern is that some attic fans (fan) require sealing the ridge vents. I am by the water in the south so hurricane winds and rain are a sure thing. Many of the vent fans are potential leaks.

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Thank you for sharing.

[@pyrojoe1404]

So i have sealed off hatch and cans. There is a ridge vent and lower vents clear. Someone mentioned a attic fan on each side of the attic left to right. One pushing and and one pulling air out. Is this a good idea. Yesterday was 97° and attic was 137°. Is it smart to go left to right with air flow? Also my return is in hallway and we keep our doors closed as we don't used those room but hallway is 84° would it be smart to put a vent to cool down hallway to keep aire return temp down?

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Air sealing the attic and then having some good insulation blown in would help. You are right that you would need one fan blowing in and one fan blowing out to help ventilate the attic. Radiant barrier may also help bring the temperature down more.

[@pyrojoe1404]

@@CrawlSpaceNinja thats next. Did the insulation first next is fans and after barrier. Do you think dropping a vemt in hallway that doesn't get cold air would cool down the return air producing colder air out of vents?

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

@@pyrojoe1404 Are you talking about a vent from your HVAC or a vent coming straight from your attic? A vent coming from your attic would likely heat the space up a lot more. I would contact your local HVAC contractor on what's best for adding more vents coming from your unit.

[@pyrojoe1404]

@@CrawlSpaceNinja we have one coming out tomorrow but what I was asking is, I hear that your ac cools ambient air temp by 15°. So if that hallway never cools down because it has no vent, what if we add a vent in the hallway to add cool air which will make the return temp cooler allowing the ac to cool 75degree air not 84degree air. Is this correct?

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

@@pyrojoe1404 In theory, yes. Again, you'll have to see what your HVAC contractor recommends for the size unit you have and what it can handle.

[@ScottFuckinRitchie]

How do you recommend to air seal the attic floor?

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Hi! There is alot to dive into! Feel free to submit a Ask a Ninja form so we can go into detail! - crawlspaceninja.com/crawl-space-help-faq/

[@Lunitarium]

I have an attic fan in my stairway that leads to the second floor. We rarely use it because in Georgia the humidity it brings in isnt generally worth the breeze. What is a good way to seal this up so that it isn’t allowing that hot air to travel down into my second floor?

[@penny1586]

We completely removed our attic fan and sealed the hole up with sheetrock (Ceiling code is usually 5/8” thick Sheetrock). Oh, and of course added insulation above that area.

[@weldorworx6858]

Ive been talked into twice now . More attic vents . Got a new roof on one house . Only had 2 vents . They recommended 6 vents . Temperature went up 10 degrees down stairs in the house . Worse thing you can do is add more vents . Think about it . Its all about displacement . So its 98 degrees out side . The sidewalk around the house in the sun is 120 degrees . So as your attic vents pull out 150 degree air . What heppes ? It has to draw air in some where . So now that 120 degree air coming in down stairs is replacing the 150 degree air leaving the attic . Worst thing you can do is add more attic vents . Done it twice now . 2 separate place . Both places had the air temp go up 10 degrees plus AFTER installing more vents . NEVER again will i get talked in MORE attic vents !

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Did you air seal attic floor? We only recommend active attic ventilation when attic is sealed between living space to help prevent condition air from entering the attic. Code requires passive ventilation which may work but I hear more results like yours from more passive vents.

[@benjiego22]

I just bought a solar vent fan, according to the installation instruction manual, in order for the fan to work effectively, is to install the fan at least 5ft away from the ridge vent, total opposite of what you said on the video. I would think hotter air goes higher, so it would only make sense to install it as close as possible to the ridge vent

[@jjones8567]

I just saw another video that said the vent fan close to the ridge vent made the vent fan draw cooler air from the ridge vent rather than from the soffit vents......?

[@johntoups6338]

@@jjones8567 yep 100% correct. If the solar fan is too close to the ridge vent, it basically just pulls outside air in front the ridge. Instead of the hotter attic air.

[@beammeupscottsp7952]

​@@johntoups6338in the same dilemma, hearing multiple opinions, trying to get things ready for next summer in Florida, we got torched this year 😂

[@gipnor]

My understanding is that we shouldn't be using fans. In recent years I had a grand manor (50 year asphalt shingle) roof installed and the manufactures instruction is to seal the attic with exception of the soffit and ridge vent. Fans will disrupt the intended air circulation and/or draw conditioned air from your house into the attic. The previous owner had installed an attic fan at the gable and it moved zero hot air.

[@mikeswanson6145]

I dont have anything you talked about and the heat radiates down into the house . I need to check off all those boxes

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Let us now how it goes.

[@jasontrewin123]

Highly recommend solar attic fan, with temp sensor to keep off till > 80, average is 14 degress over ambient

[@AD-hs4cw]

Adding a Fan in the roof with a ridge vent short circuits the both of them as the fan in the roof will draw the hot air from outside from the ridge vent instead of from the sofits...bad advice

[@Kevin-sg5xc]

@@AD-hs4cw Yup, air flows path of least resistance. From the ridge vent through the solar fan. Only getting air flow at the very top.

[@Baconbeerify]

I always heard either passive ventilation or active but not both. Use either a ridge vent or a solar fan but using both creates the problem you mentioned.

[@8andsk835]

Great video. I didn’t need photos to understand what your saying that’s how well u explained it thanks!

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Thank you so much!

[@joeysowell116]

Can you install a fan on the inside at the ridge vents to pull air through soffit and out the ridge vents? Do they make something like that? I have no gable vents only ridge and soffit vents.

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

When we have installed solar attic fans or active ventilation fans we usually put them close to the ridge vent. I do not think they make a ridge vent fan but I am not 100% sure about that. If you do decide to install some type of active ventilation try to get it close to the top of the roof so you are dissipating as much heat as possible. I hope that helps and thanks for watching.

[@WoeJinn]

I wish your company was in my area of Seattle area.

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Very kind of you to say. Thanks for watching.

[@Brandon-no3vc]

Why does the solar attic fan need the ridge vent?

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Needs area to draw air from, local code requires a certain amount of makeup air.

[@Brandon-no3vc]

@@CrawlSpaceNinja why not use the soffits?

[@dabig77]

Thumbs down for not doing some kung fu

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

🙃

[@southernhometalk2465]

Great advice, however as a Home and Commercial Building Inspector. Powered Vents should not be near the Ridge Vent, because it will circulate air at the top instead of pulling it from the lower Sofit Vents.

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Thanks for the correction.

[@emmanuelgutierrez8616]

"The build show" says solar vent fans are a scam. Any input on this?

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, we feel that they are great.

[@emmanuelgutierrez8616]

@@CrawlSpaceNinja it should be an experiment to devise conclusions. It also should be noted that he might been saying that the scam part is the allegations that solar fans drop the temperature as much 60 degrees. He said it like a hot day at the beach and you bring a small fan. How much cooler can that actually make you. His show is about the science of construction. Would be be nice if you reviewed or better illustrated how and why and in what conditions a solar fan would work.

[@1ronhall]

Thanks Michael ….. I always learn

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Thank you!

[@paullerma4700]

Michael, my attic has very little pitch. I can squat in the middle to each end where the gable vents are. It's hot 5 to 7 months of the year here in south central Texas. You have some great solutions however it seems the only thing I can do is remove the gables during the summer so the wind will push the air out. I think the attic would be at the ambient temp around 93 on average instead of 150. We don't have air conditioning or heating in this 1800 sq. ft. home, so we leave the windows open and use high velocity fans to keep the air moving even though it blows warm air.

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Sounds like a good solution. This was a comment from one of our viewers, I hope it helps and thanks for watching. @mikegrok • 10 days ago I installed a gable end attic fan this morning. Btw there is currently 1 inch of old cellulose insulation in most of the attic. Yesterday it was 105 outside and 74 inside at 70% humidity outside and 53% inside. Today is the same outside, and 67 inside at 49% humidity. We have no soffit or ridge vents. The gable end vents are 2ft by 3ft each.

[@stangcobra592]

What if you live in a climate so hot the attic temps are 150+ in the heat of summer? You got gable end vents, ridge vent at top of roof and soffit, that about it. A radiant barrier for my size roof would be insane money and an attic fan is a laughable option..

[@cindyjohnson5242]

A radiant barrier applied to the underside of your roof rafters is a DIY project, simple and fairly inexpensive. I'm a 63 yo old woman, and I've been doing that myself.

[@LithicStudios]

Hey, I got a warm attic, I have like 24' linear feet of ridge vent, baffles and a wooden soffit with tiny holes. The attic is about 1250 square feet. Will replacing the wooden soffit have a worthwhile impact on ventilation, or just focus on the fundamental process described in the video?

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Kieran, it would probably be best to just to go through the process Michael describes in the video. We hope this helps!

[@jackiealvarez1776]

I have a question. I had the entire attic insulated and sheet rock. They never installed a fan or anything. Now the second floor is an oven because of it. Who should I call for them to install the solar fan as you suggested? I live in NY

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Jackie, we currently do not have any working relationships with contractors in New York, so we would be unable to give a truthful recommendation. Sorry about that.

[@terrythomas790]

Got a question about a Cape Cod style home, without soffit vents. There is no roof overhang. Would, or should I, cut holes and install small dormer vents in the end walls of my home to have some fresh airflow into the "behind the knee wall" area" of the crawlspace area?. I had a ridge vent installed when the roof was replaced, and feel this could get me some better air movement! Thanks!!

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Wow great question. I think it would be a good idea to consult a local roofer on that one or an energy auditor. In the meantime it may be a good idea to put humidity/temp reader in there to make sure not getting high humidity. If you are then I think ventilation or even a dehumidifier in extreme circumstance might be worth considering. Thanks for watching.

[@b767greg]

My concern about solar attic fans is the solar part will fail, then what? Are these solar attic fans replaceable? Or can the solar panels be replaced if they fail?

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

GreginTheCape - We have found that solar attic fans typically last 20 years, since that's the lifespan of a typical solar panel. Some units from manufacturers like Remington Solar can last much longer. Their solar attic fans are covered by a lifelong warranty (labor is not included). We hope this answers your question. Thanks for watching and we hope you have a happy and blessed day!

[@brianr1165]

What’s a radiant barrier?

[@carmenfarine3580]

U need a demonstration because someone like me has no idea what you’re talking about

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

I'm sorry I didn't explain it very well.

[@ambilaevus7607]

What's the baffle made of? Could rigid foam insulation be enough to meet the desired objective? My soffits were stuffed like turkeys with that celluloid insulation until I replaced my rotten facial in 2010 and it fell on me as I tore off the rotten wood. There was a full blown bee hive in that soffit cellulose. Those were some warm, happy bees. I put in trays when I did the facial and when I've gutted rooms, lots of trays. Most of the cellulose is gone and fiberglass bats are in. Mold in attic is definitely not spreading, I've never sprayed it (to try to kill it) but I should. My attic antics for the last year were squirrel battles.

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Baffles can be rigid foam board cut to size, normally made of foam or cardboard.

[@cindyjohnson5242]

Wow! Bless you that you are okay!

[@elainenilsson5472]

Loved this video. Never stopped to think that the hot air in the summer could be sucked down into my living space. One question though, if the soffit vents are not between each rafter, how will the air flow up between the other rafters to the ridge vent? I know heat rises but wouldn't it be better to have soffit vents between every rafter?

[@21gonza21]

Thumbs down next time it would be nice to show pictures of examples of what you are referring to...

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

Good morning Beto, Thank you for the feedback we will keep it in mind for the future video that might be similar! :)

[@CrochetNewsNetwork]

Great video, but I agree a few photos would help a newbie like me. I am a subscriber

[@coolramone]

Thumbs up 👍 to you CrawlSpaceNinja; Thanks for your time and expertise and sharing ideas that can potentially help us lower our very hot attic temps.

[@mont5068]

I’m late to the party. The beard is gone 😧

[@CrawlSpaceNinja]

No worries! its making a comeback!

[@mont5068]

Crawl Space Ninja good! I don’t even have a crawl space. I just like watching the videos/learning. Hahaha