Understanding Roof Ventilation & Venting Options (Ridge, whirlybird & Box Vents)

Understanding Roof Ventilation & Venting Options (Ridge, whirlybird & Box Vents)
When it comes to roof venting and ventilation one must think of them together to control the moisture and heat and heat in the attic. Ridge venting is #1 Followed by whirlybird vents then box venting.
You Have Major Heat Build Up In The Attic? This will solve the problem for the majority of you - amzn.to/3zTt9aO
Bath Vent Kit amzn.to/3MkLrFV
Complete Bath/Roof Kit amzn.to/3Kz60NM
Soffit Vents amzn.to/3KEptNb
Attic Chutes amzn.to/3UfBRGj
Roof Vents amzn.to/3ZHd2UV
Ridge Vents (Best) amzn.to/3zBcAwX
Whirlybirds Vent (lifetime warranty - 2nd Bast) amzn.to/3GgFKoD
Box Vent Best 1’s amzn.to/413spIn
Shingle Roof Tools amzn.to/412OVRz
Kitchen Venting Systems amzn.to/3nHCoVk
ducted Range Hood amzn.to/3KA1rTo
All opinions or methods expressed in the video(s) are personal opinion only and for educational purposes only. Always check current regulations or seek second opinions from other video sources or websites. Anyone working at ANY height should be fully trained and insured to do so and use the correct access equipment. Anyone working on ANY project does so at their own risk!

[@DonnaCombs-f9b]

I have been in business for 43 years I started in the Chicago district council of carpenters in 1966 served a four apprenticeship built many homes this guy is giving you very honest and truthful information. It would very hard too go wrong by following this man’s guidance. If

[@TheIMadManI]

Thank you for the verification sir. Sometimes you never know what people are saying is true so its good to know a professional can back up the information.

[@ivankorth4458]

Thank you

[@paaao]

I live in a small house built in the 40's. Raised foundation, no slab on grade. All dot board, and plaster. Attic with your typical whirlybirds and screened vent stacks (Doesn't snow here). Seems like the construction standards from the mid 90s to the late 00's took a drastic turn for the worse. I've been in the trades since 2001, mostly commercial. When I get behind the scenes doing side work, the homes built prior to the 90s are so much better overall.

[@mtheory3]

This is the definitive video on roof ventilation

[@katioconnor5295]

I sold roofing materials for 9 yrs and had a bonded licensed contractor I worked with have his crew replace our roof and add ridge vent system cora-vent, which we highly recommended to all home owners. I went into our attic to see the underside installation, knowing I would see the sheeting cut back to allow the system to ventilate... they didn't cut out the ridge sheeting at all!! They just put the vent system on the closed ridge😮 of course I thru a fit and they had to come out and correct the situation. Always check contractor work at every step.... improper installations void warranties...

[@randypierce5887]

Gable vents are allowed as your “IRC and IBC (code) required attic ventilation “. There is a formula based on the square footage of your enclosed attic. It’s a relatively simple calculation to perform. You are correct on the problems with improper ventilation and the numerous effects of excess moisture that cannot escape the attic area. By the way it is a code violation to just duct bathroom exhaust into the attic space and not directed to the outside utilizing wall or roof caps, dryer vents are also required to be ducted to the outside of the structure. You are correct stating that attic ventilation is too often overlooked and under ventilated!

[@letsdiymyhome]

You Have Major Heat Build Up In The Attic? This will solve the problem for the majority of you - amzn.to/3zTt9aO

[@chrishouse7522]

Man, you are good! The amount of incorrect info out there is staggering. Even the so called professionals can steer ya wrong. Thanks a million!

[@Sandra-Dubs]

Not only do you walk through the proper ways to do things, but also what you often see done incorrectly. Love that!

[@Adele411]

Thank you for this clear explanation of attic ventilation. A few years ago after a bad storm I had to replace roofs on a 20 year old house with a hip roof & on a very old farm house. The roofer put whirlybirds on the farm house & doubled the box vents on the newer house & he replaced the power vent but did not hook it up to power. I didn't like that he put in the whirlybirds & didn't have the power vent hooked up to power. Now I understand he probably had the same ideas you do about vents & I feel much better now about what they did at my houses. I already had venting the entire distance of the soffits all around the newer house.

[@chelyhappy7991]

Thank you for sharing this information with us homeowners!

[@ApolloTheDerg]

I don’t even own a home yet here I am learning about properly venting an attic.

[@andrewhardcastle7982]

Yes a big help! I’m now opening up a lot of soffit area soon and vents are on the way for the roof. Much better than nothing

[@ThisThing435]

Liked, shared to myself and watched till the end! My bathroom and kitchen vent into my attic. I’m now replacing the bathroom vent due to the vent rusting. I’m no truly experienced home builder but this house was “cheapest bidder” from the first construction to the covered shingles to tin roof!

[@elitetileandstone]

Thank you for this informative and insightful video. I'm getting ready to replace my 35 year old roof. I want to make sure its done correctly. Knowledge is power.

[@angelbusto5616]

sane here.

[@JohnJuliano-y6y]

We want 2 thank u for caring and showing how much u care. U r a Fantastic PERSON. So thank u 😊

[@GuitarHeroPhenomSux]

I've been slowly converting a shed into a tiny house and all this ventilation stuff has stumped me throughout the process. It's a metal building with no original ventilation - no soffits or anything. I original closed cell spray foamed the whole thing sans underneath thinking that would be enough for insulation (no experience prior to this). After some harsh winters, I started going over all the sprayfoam with rockwool. There's been some things that I've become aware of while doing this (I should've noticed sooner but I never bothered to investigate or research). There's always been a sort of musty smell in there, and occasionally I'd notice the carpet would be moist which I assumed was a hole in the roof or something. There's no attic; and one loft. As I've been installing the insulation and can spray foaming any nook & cranny I come across, I noticed the whole underside of the roof (on top of spray foam) was moist. This has made me hesitant about continuing, and I fear the parts I've already completed and sealed off are rotting away. I have cleaned off some mold that only seems to go after wood, and now I'm started to go over the original studs with mold killing primer before putting up insulation. This part of the process has been completely over my head. To me it's always seemed counterintuitive to add fans and vents when you're trying to heat/cool a place. (Also, I don't have a proper hvac setup. Just a wind unit, and a plug in the wall oil heater for winter.) I'm starting to realize how important is. I just need to learn what is the best way to proceed and remedy the aforementioned issues. As you probably know, construction materials aren't cheap, and I'd hate to know that I'm trying to save the Titanic from sinking with a water bucket. Thank you for creating this video and educating me on a topic I'm beyond ignorant of. Subscribed.

[@Chris-ji8jw]

Hey brother, I appreciate your council. I appreciate the unbiased, flat-out truth. For instance for the intake vents, ot was said that the best ones, are the ones that go full-length. I hear others saying that thwy should be balanced, and limited to the output of the exhaust vents. I like how you warned, about the elrctric power vents. Those sound logical to be adventageous on the surface. But, hou told us about, how it is possible to puul up mold, from the pipes and not sealed or fully sealed outlets/holes. And, i like how you said, that it is best to have intake ventalation, forgot what they are called, on ALL trusses. And on another one of your videos, you told us how 30 year roofs are not really 30-year roofs (my interpretation). Therefore, i shold go for the 40 year Arhectecture roof, or whatever it specifically is. I like hiw you mentioned the nails! Like 6 nails V less nails or more. Well, I know these concepts, having created anchor points in the mind. I came across this 75-year old guy, who put ridge roofing above his garage. Proof of comcept. If he can do it, than I can probably do it. With God all things are possible, he said. Well, sorry for talking your ear off, lol. I am just happy, that you took your time to make these videos. A lot of what you say, agrees with other professionals. Like for the underlying paper, you suggest 30 Lb, and not Artificial, or the other, that many reccomend. The jury is still out on that for me. I appreciate you raising the issue. It hives me something to think about. I was thinking of going to volunteer for a roofing company, so I can (hopefully) get some expierence in roofing. Thank You! ( :

[@26-CJ]

Hi. Thank you for the video. We have a brand new home and we were seeking to have our attic insulation topped off to a R38 value since it’s R30 now. It’s white blown in fiberglass insulation. When we had a company come out to our home to give us estimates we were informed of the cost to do that as well as fix the soffit vents since some of them are blocked off or partially blocked since they blew the initial insulation over the openings of the soffit vents in the attic. Then the company started telling us we can also place a solar attic fan to help cool the attic down for the summer months. In addition to this they informed us of another option of spray foaming the entire attic and seal everything in and then remove the current blown in insulation. We have since learned that attic fans have been known to cause more issues in more than one potential way. Also we have learned that the spray foaming option can cause lenders to avoid giving loans to people that may be interested in buying your home if you sell the home. There are also several other negative things that are being said about the choice to do spray foam. The idea is so appealing to have the attic look very clean as well as not be so darn hot or cold and become a sorta conditioned space. But we have also asked the same company how we keep moisture from becoming a problem when you seal the entire attic air tight. Anyone with common sense would know that humidity will be in any space and if you do not have any AC or Heating air flow being circulated into air returns and then back out vents will become a problem. AC units do dehumidify a space and the attic will not have any vents bringing air into it and back through a system. If we spray foamed its all you have is cool or warm air transfer bleeding into the sealed attic from the conditioned space below. These seemingly brilliant ideas seem like money making scams that people use to make you think your getting a great product and idea when in the end they seem to be dangerous for a home owner. What is the best option in your opinion for a person to improve the attic space. Of corse we need to improve the soffit vents so air can flow. We also know that in order to get a better R value is to add more insulation. What we would like to know is how can we get better air flow that will not cause problems and or put our house in a negative pressure where attic fans can suck AC or heating through the drywall and into the attic and then out the attic fan wasting money in energy. Thank you for your time.

[@DeezNuttz_BoffaDem]

Im not a professional but I am pretty stupid…so don’t listen to me. If you don’t plan on using your attic as some sort of useful space, I would suggest unclogging your soffit vents and adding a radiant barrier to the underside of the roof rafters. During that process don’t encapsulate anything that would impede the flow of the vent system, which if you have a fully vented cap and soffit, it shouldn’t be an issue. If you remove all blow in insulation and spray foam only above the ceiling, you are not sealing off the attic. You are sealing off the top of your living space. Assuming you have proper ventilation from the soffit to the peak, it shouldn’t be an issue. It will be expensive and you should blow the R30 insulation right back on top instead of throwing it away because it would take a crap ton of spray foam to get to R30. This option probably isn’t financially feasible as opposed to ensuring proper ventilation and ensuring there isn’t some other reason your home is creating a chimney effect. If they plan to spray foam the underside of the roof and insulate/seal the soffit area, you are correct, you should condition the air in the attic. If your attic is short, small and useless…that would probably not be financially feasible.

[@26-CJ]

@@DeezNuttz_BoffaDem thanks for your reply. Quick question. Have you seen or heard about liquid spray radiant barrier. Basically they spray a liquid onto the underside of your roof deck in the attic. It dries and provides that radiant barrier. We talked to a whole different company. They suggested against spray foam and instead suggested making our attic insulation a R value of like a crazy 49 and spraying the underside of the roof with liquid radiant barrier. Oh and of course unclogging our soffits and using longer baffle boards to raise the opening from soffit higher up so that we don’t get them clogged again.

[@gg-gn3re]

@@26-CJ radiant barrier is inferior to just painting a roof white. Lanco and henry both make 5-10 different paints specifically to reflect heat off of a roof (all white obviously). they have 10-25 year warranties.

[@26-CJ]

@@gg-gn3re are you saying to paint your shingles white or the under side of the roof in the attic?

[@gg-gn3re]

@@26-CJ shingles, tiles, or metal roof. All of it is superior heat reflectivity than underneath.

[@joshv06]

I really appreciate your time to make this video. Very informative

[@letsdiymyhome]

TY!

[@lowdown49]

​@letsdiymyhome when you say "power vent" are you also referring to the electric and solar powered attic fans you would use in the gable vents? Basically any and all powered attic fans?

[@Chudley716]

All the advice I got was to close off the gable vents so the side airflow would not interfere with the airflow up from the soffit vents through the ridge vent. This has helped the upstairs be more comfortable in the summer. Same with turning off our attic fan to not interfere with the airflow up and out the ridge vent.

[@xristosdiamantoulis9620]

Thanks for all the info I’m building an addition to my home and you have helped push me in the right way with going with whirleybirds.

[@b.b.finsclara3589]

Thaaank you. This information is Gold. One must learn-understand Ventilation, Insulation of attics.....Bathroom exhaust fans....ahead of just slapping roofinģ shingles without knowing all the systems that results in a functioning ROOF!!! I am so glad i heard yourvideo. I re-listened to it several times so i know it! GRAATEFUL!!! Excellent video! Bless You.

[@KawakebAstra]

Wow Thx 🙏 ♥️👑🕊 comprehensive..better info than the myriad roofers posts… just got new roof .. they took out my good ole’ whirlybirds ‘n installed OC VentSure ridge vents .. vents great BUT now afraid of leaks here in Florida windy rain storms ‘n hurricanes ❓

[@letsdiymyhome]

I'm glad you found that very helpful. My first question is is this a storm chaser? Things that make me go hummm My questions to you would be how old is the house do you know if it has aluminum slotted soffit vents or not. If it's a 1920s home that has the solid soffit with no Vents then that's considered a hot roof and ridge vent is useless. The soffit Vince I'm talking about would be on the underneath side of where the gutters would hang on a home. I have reopened the forms if you wanted to post pictures of your home you can do that at letsDIYmyhome.com And that would make it much easier to give you the correct information.

[@MrSymbolic7]

The ridge vent / soffit vent idea is great in normal temperature areas , but on the Texas Gulf Coast at 108 F -118 F Heat index that's a 104 F outside air temp. with a 81 F Dew point and with no rain for 2.5 Months my attic is definitely a HOT ATTIC no doubt , the upstairs A/C run's constantly from noon to 6 p.m. and sometimes can't hit the thermostat set point and yes my attic is very well insulated ! So, I am looking at doing a continuous soffit vent going forward !

[@DeezNuttz_BoffaDem]

Do you have a 4” vent between each rafter? I can’t imagine it taking more than that as long as the ridge vent is correct. Id be curious to hear his opinion on the reflective radiant barriers. You might look into that. Just make sure not to cover anything that causes an issue with ventilation

[@DeezNuttz_BoffaDem]

Also, I might have missed whether you had an actual hot attic meaning a farm house style attic (usually just a vent on each side of the roof peak)or when you climb in the correctly vented attic, above the insulation, its just hot af?

[@terryfoote8734]

Great information thank you. What questions do I need to ask a person who is going to seal, vent and insulate my attic to assure they know what they are doing? How do I find a reputable person?

[@jeffm6100]

Very informative. Thank you. What would be the biggest things you’d look for when trying to find a roof contractor to hire?

[@cynthiashue5812]

Great video. Explained many concepts so that novices could understand. 1) Please add a visual of where the shingles should come up to before placing the box vent or whirlybird, 2) can you provide insight as to the solar roof vents. It's hot/humid in FL. Do you advise for or against this practice.

[@SteveOOOOO]

Absolutely I will have an upcoming video I'm suspecting sometime December for early January on proper installation of all vents

[@bmiles4131]

Thank you. I had one roofer tell me I need to double my whirlybirds and the other one said remove them and just use the ridge vent. (I have both right now on a long hip roof).

[@rccorcoles7082]

Thanks you answered all my questions...now to check how bad the damage is..first home

[@randymiller1881]

Good info - Thx. I just added an exterior attic space access @ the ceiling of our 200sf covered back patio area. Although I didn't expect to find ceiling insulation over the covered patio area, I was surprised to find this new construction home did not have a solid exterior wall framed all the way up to the roof. The rear house wall had approx 4Ft of corrugated sheet (cardboard) forming a short wall to hold the blown insulation in place over the home's finished ceiling. We do have full length soffit vents and a series of roof box vents. I'm adding a gable end vent above the covered back patio area (East wall) to pull additional hot air out of the attic space. Wish me luck !!

[@josephfitch1]

it should make a noticeable difference ...it did on my place

[@NeronFrancis]

Dude you are golden. I need you to come and help me vent my hip roof. Good information

[@b.b.finsclara3589]

I love-d and enjoy-ed your video. Very well explained by educating us before we get our roofs installed. A concern: when it appears to be that mould has accummulated in the attic one ought to-MUST remove aaall the plywood to make the space issue free? Costly $$$😢$ I am grateful for your wonderful video. Keep up the good work! THAAANK YOU!

[@liyinrui]

I like your video, professional, straightforward, great suggestions.

[@kevinholloman4055]

Hoping you can help me, I was recommended 2 attic fans on my hot attic. They were installed and have not made a difference. Now I realize that by looking at them closer, they are Power Vents. What do you recommend I do? I have not paid yet as they were leaking as well. I live on a military pension and could really use your help.

[@DHEvans]

Very good and straight forward explanations. Is there any need to create pressure or reduce pressure in the attic using appropriate venting ?

[@catherineozarko5480]

They put a major hiway behind our house. Older house and my brother had a bathroom fan exhaust but the hiway noise was top extreme and he closed it years ago. Also there is no Soffit or any ventilation to pull air in. Major dampness issue. Is there any way to reinstall the bathroom and or kitchen vents that would not allow the hiway noise in thru it? Regards, Catherine

[@letsdiymyhome]

O my girl, alot of the older homes early to mid 1900 did not have vented soffits and pending the attic space layout and insulation witch would require a video for me to be exact on the correct steps all I could say is hire a architect to come in and evaluate your issues... Today I would have a very difficult time trusting a contractor giving me the correct solution to my problem... I most cases it would be a salesman coming out that has not had the correct training on insulation and ventilation. I hope this was helpful and so sorry on the delay of getting back to you

[@caseyhartman7094]

Great informative video. I'm not sure if my attic is properly ventilated. My home has 2 ridge vents and 3 or 4 gable vents and soffits around the entire house. I think there's some insulation in some of my soffits and the areas that used to have a low-pitched roof block those soffits. I like your suggestion of using a power vent for the garage. My garage has a utility room off to the side that doesn't have an attic space above it. There's a square cut-out in the ceiling where a light, ceiling fan, or some other electrical device was previously installed. It looks like it could be a good spot to have a power vent installed since the garage and utility room have been hot since I moved into my home.

[@tracyalan7201]

Thank you for your video. I live in Hawaii on the leeward side, which gets more sun than rain. I've not a handyman type but I do try to educate myself about homeownership. This video covers a lot of information which makes me think about the roof, venting, moisture and concerns. This has been really educational and I subscribed because now it makes rethink about an earlier decision when I had my home reroofed about 11 years ago. I think I did one of those things you talked about. I had the roofers install a solar fan to vent out the roof crawl space. It worked then, but doesn't now, as mentioned about the spinning stopping. I was debating about replacing but after seeing that section about the power unit and it sucking up moisture for mold, now I have to have it inspected and consider what other options on venting as well as replacing/repairing the solar fan. I'll have to research your videos for that information. Mahalo (thanks) from Hawaii. I hope you continue doing more. Take care.

[@raphaelness1239]

Ahh Bummer, I am watching this just after buying a solar attic fan off FB. I guess I'm glad I found out this info prior to installing and developing issues however not happy that I most likely wasted money

[@letsdiymyhome]

Please reach out to me, I would like to talk about the issues your having Email me at [e-mail]

[@Shade_Tree_Mechanic]

Very interesting stuff. Thank you for the excellent informative video

[@letsdiymyhome]

OK Every one, for the folks with extreme heat issues we will be doing a video on how to reduce the ATTIC heat!! by as much as 30-40%!!!!!! Very Soon!! You Have Major Heat Build Up In The Attic? This will solve the problem for the majority of you - amzn.to/3zTt9aO

[@ediek813]

I hope you show us the photos instead of just talking about them and we barely get a glimpse. Thanks in advance.

[@alexatkinson229]

What about for concrete tile roof, which box vent do you recommend ? The same one in the video?

[@jeb4836]

Great video! My home is a modular and every truss ends about 2 feet from the ridge vent by a cross-truss and the then built a “cap” section across the roof top after they lifted the roof sections up with crane to meet the cap section. Do I need to drill holes in that board between each truss to cause the air to find the ridge vent or will it find its way ? Thanks.

[@mtheory3]

Going to try and build a dog house with ventilation as a "practice shed" this video is absolutely invaluable

[@2trntbls]

@mtheory3 Great idea.

[@Superhermit]

I am in Florida and just got my roof replaced to have the GAF COBRA ridge, I have Soffits along the whole perimeter. Still feels too hot in the attic, looking into ways to manage the heat/ keep the house comfortable in the southern heat Would be interested to know your thoughts on this situation, Would Radiant barriers help? Should I avoid DYI blown insulation ? I notice my air conditioner struggles because the ducts being heated in the attic space

[@joemc111]

Nice show, so what about the whirlybird put on a 12 or 24 inch extension to add a little chimney affect ever do that? I just had my roof replaced and it’s got that membrane in the ridge vent like you said these and flies you’re gonna find your way in. So I have been thinking about removing the pad, what do you think?

[@justanotherguy469]

Isn't a power vent the same function as a whirlybird? They both pull air from the home. I live in a 5 unit brownstone, with each unit being 900 square feet (83.61 m²). On the flat roof, there are 8 whirlybirds, with 4 clustered together from the other 4, about 15 feet (4.57 meters) apart on the same side of the roof. They are no longer spinning and need to be replaced badly, as I am getting a lot of water coming in to the building. I was thinking of replacing each cluster with 1 solar turbine, by building an elevated enclosure over the opening, and sitting the solar turbine on top of it, since the solar turbines moves much more air. Do you think that is a good idea? Furthermore, the whirly birds are over 4 feet (1.22 meters) tall, and they are right up against the parapet, which needs to be repaired, but cannot be accessed because of the whirlybirds. Thank you, for this most informative video.

[@letsdiymyhome]

8 Whirlybirds on a flat roof why does that sound so wrong in so many ways, but when they're not spinning it definitely is an issue isn't it. I would have to see a photo of that if it's possible but out of all the years I've done flat roofs we have never ever considered using Whirlybirds. But I guess if they're installed on a square box off the roof then so be it if that is the case I would take the birds off and just install square roof vents... Square roof vents eight of them are way more than you need on 900 ft² that ends any further issues. But if you choose to go back with the Whirlybirds make sure they are The ball bearing type. Last longer....

[@cesarcolli1042]

It was beneficial!! I learn a lot about ventilation. God bless !!

[@gregsclavius8806]

WILL my water pipes freeze if I vent the attic - Memphis pix A piping and copper

[@wesleyschlecht9156]

if i have box vents near the sofdfits and no actual soffit vents , yet have no mold or wood rot issues, should iu bother changin g my ventilation to make it better?

[@jmurphy2611]

For box vents, are the slant back design that you show better than the mushroom type, and why?

[@balltillwefall8284]

Not sure if your still answering questions but we have a 1960s split level that im starting to dig into with some repairs and noticed that although the previous owner had ridge vent installed when he had the roof done, there is no vented soffit or gable vents present. I don't think vented soffits are even a possibility because there is no chance of putting in baffles because there's insulation there and no access due to cathedral ceilings. Would simply adding some gable vents help with getting air moving? Is it even worth it to do anything or just leave things as they are? Thanks to anyone who answers.

[@mikeinpcola5543]

Great video! Would still like a better option for hip roofs with basically no ridges for ridge vents. Whirly birds dont seem like a legit option since they appear to only allow for real air flow between the say 24" width of the 2x4 of the roof decking where it is installed. Any suggestions for hip roofs?

[@DeezNuttz_BoffaDem]

I think they allow appropriate ventilation for all except the area above and slightly outward from the whirly bird. If you have a 1400ft house and two appropriately spaced whirly birds, you wouldn’t have an issue assuming the soffit is correctly ventilated and you don’t have any other weird problems dumping moisture in the attic.

[@Cortexsaga]

not gonna lie, im just liking all your vids, maybe it'll help your traction, you deserve more subs

[@letsdiymyhome]

Man thank You, just wish I had the time to do this more often for it is a blast!

[@bluestsky1999]

I am thinking to install a dehumidifier in the attic. What do you think? I realised that the roof wood panels are dark. The house is 50 years old. It consumes a lot of electricity for heating in winter. I suspect that the insulation gets wet when it is cold outside.

[@DanielinLaTuna]

A dehumidifier would definitely help. Make sure you have an adequate way to dump the accumulated water. We have a central air conditioner system in our house. It basically acts as a dehumidifier. (The unit is located in the attic space.) You wouldn’t believe how much water it removes from the air, and the drain line drops the water onto our large potted plant next to the house. We never need to water it in the summer.

[@larryd_0793]

Can you add box vents or whirly vents to a ridge vent? I have a hip roof and want to vent the north side of the house that has no access to the ridge.

[@marcelamejia8650]

What will be the best option for a Skillion roof also called a shed roof

[@samuelgalaxy1573]

Glad to watch your video. My home is over 20 years old in Raleigh, NC. I have a hip roof with ridge vent and suffix. The attic (the wood) was absolutely "clean". I added a power fan (with a theromstat) near the top of the ridge vent about 10 years ago. About 2 years ago, I noticed hyphal element started surfacing and some black and white fugus /mold have formed (got it tested and it was iat lowest reportabke level, like 1-10 per squre inches). I had it cleaned by professional anyway. Not sure why but some said the humid winter weather in last few years could be the problem. After watch your video, I have turned off the fan right now. I don't have water pipe/pumbing up in the attic and I have a dehumdifier in the crawl space. Is it okay to run the fan in the summer or I should just use foam to cover up the fan opening (to avoid short circult the airflow from the suffic to the ridge vent)?

[@letsdiymyhome]

My friend I'm glade you to have seen this... remove the fan or at lest disconnect it... If you got ridge vent then that fan was really doing more damage then good... I would remove it and close up the hole.

[@SunniHorizons1]

This is awesome! Thank you so much!

[@MonroeTart-l8l]

I have a whole house fan upstairs to pull fresh air into the house through the windows. We use the whole house fan in the spring and fall when AC is not used, or in the summer after returning form a vacation, or weekend away when we turn AC up and returning home we can cool the upstairs and downstairs by turning on the whole house fan more quickly. We had a family of squirrels get into the attic and chewed up the wires on the whole house fan. Do you see an issue with using the whole house fan for cooling, or is it pulling in moisture from the house as you suggested that you should get rid of gable forced ventilation fans. I’d like to replace the whole house fan or get it repaired, but is it Ill-advised to use the whole house fan?

[@MikeBonham-s6y]

I’m dealing with a mess. Hot as hell with no air movement in summer and ice dams in winter. I was going to buy the gable power vents till I tuned in to your presentation. The goal is to keep the attic temps as close to outside as possible? What keeps your living space different and comfortable is the insulation in attic, right? So how does the air flow from these soffit vents into attic if you have the soffit blocked off at the plate by a board going from truss to truss? I thought I heard you say you cut out some of it and install those chutes to allow air from soffit vents up into attic while closing the rest of the area below it with 1” blown foam insulation, ideally, or standard insulation. Am I getting it? Today I’ll look at little closer at the ridge vent I have and see if there is even a gap up there for air to flow. It’s going to by 90 plus outside today seems like fun! BTW are you out camping?

[@timfierro853]

Thanks for the great info, I’ve been looking for an informative video like this! I have a quick question or two that hopefully you can answer. I have a 2500 sq ft in the hot & humid North Texas area. I have 5 whirlybird vents throughout our roof and only 1 of them is actually spinning the other 4 are held stationary by a metal wire. I’m almost positive that’s not supposed to be the case and have contemplated removing those wires but not sure if this was done purposely. Is there ever an instance where the builder or previous owners would purposely do that? Thanks in advance!

[@josephfitch1]

i would untie the wire, water could get is in a strong storm..mine just spun during hurricane Idella cat 4...they are fine and both fans were going very fast...citrus county Fl.

[@i-am-star]

Would the power roof vent, solar power roof vent and whirlybirds all work the same? Whirly use air to turn and solar power vents use solar/sun to power it to turn? The power roof vents I guess are wired but don't they still do the same job as the other two? Don't they all suck up air? I'm just asking. I was looking into the solar power vents. Thanks.

[@ostpetahtegoose9477]

I went into our attic space recently and noticed that I can see a lot of sunlight through the square vent on the roof - I notice that the square vent you are showing in this video probably doesn't? There are shoots, but I also notice that the attic is VERY hot - it has insulation up against the room walls next to the attic space, but the heat in the attic is as hot as outside - should this be happening? What should the temperature of the attic be, because I can feel that heat seeping through the walls into the rooms next to it and it gets really hot up there during the summer and really cold during the winter.

[@skip741x3]

when you advise Against power vents, are you also saying gable end vents that are powered along with lots of soffits as intakes, are these systems also bad? are you saying a passive system like box vents or turbines would be better?

[@lspalla65]

Thank you so much, as a homeowner, currently in need of re-shingling my roof, I've learned so much from you in this video. I live in Chicago and live in a small Georgian brick home about 1,200 sq feet, post WWll, built around "1945-47" no soffits around the hip roof. I have a power vent, and will be removing it after seeing you reason way, and thanks for that information, but what can I do to achieve positive air flow? add more roof vent lower on the roof closer to the gutters and more near the top of the ridge??? could you please give your advice. Thank you. Louie

[@ratecoudo]

SIR for a 1000 square feet home how many vents need to be installed on the roof?

[@letsdiymyhome]

square vents? then 4

[@ratecoudo]

@@letsdiymyhome thanks.

[@brianmiglionico5835]

I have a 3,189 sq/ft home (2 story) in FL with 4 vents on high points... I am building an attic space for utility room (hanging 2 air handlers). I am using 2 X 6 beams supporting truss beams, so it *lowers* the interior room ceiling allowing cavities for airflow. I am also sealing *ALL* holes vent pipes, electrical boxes, attic access, everything, and spray foaming to seal utility room walls and ceilings between attic. Now my question is, since I have attic vents, which are currently 12" X 24" cutouts which I am looking to replace as the heat is sometimes 130° up there and no way adequate... What can I do in this case as I was considering several Solar Attic fans throughout or spray foam the entire roof decking, baffels, spray in insulation (currently present) to make it an entirely conditioned space as mentioned in another comment... if thats the case do I need the vents, fans, etc... ?

[@richardlong5482]

Wow did I learn some things! Thanks much, great info!!

[@paulbaker3144]

Our house in the desert has little issue with moisture. It’s just heat I need to remove from the attic with active ventilation. Maybe if the monsoon season returns moisture will be more of a concern but the active vents (solar powered fans) would handle that also. The humid regions of the country have much more issues.

[@DanildaPolanco]

That was awesome! Thank you for explaining all of this to us!

[@dynoesaur]

Can reroute those bathrooms vent and make them face the soffit or gable vent to reduce the cause of mold?

[@northernliving2387]

What if there is a ridge vent and a couple few below there is a roof vent. Could the vent in take air exit out of the ridge vent?

[@littleeddie133]

I have ridge vent and soffit vents with the holes every 3 feet or so, will replacing the soffit with the kind that has the holes with no gaps make a difference, I still get ice dams in winter, cape cod hose so no attic to get into to add insulation in roof

[@OutOfYoLeeg]

Awesome vid. Thx for the lesson.

[@John-ze3vo]

I need to add shingle over edge vents , ( no eve to add soffit vents) 4 sections 7feet 6 inch across 16 feet wall to ridge...can i use a whirlly bird for each of the 4 sections....house 50 yrs old vaulted ceiling no trusses ....dropping ceiling inside 8 inches adding 6 inches of rock wool insulation w 2 inch air gap

[@Rick-tb4so]

You buy the smallest Power Vent they make and you wont have any moisture because the air is moving and is being removed. Adding a power vent is like adding 1/2 ton to your AC unit which was told to me by the manufacturer and it works. I had the roof replaced and they wanted to add a ridge vent I refused and installed a Power unit and works great.

[@jjcastleberry3662]

I own a 1430 Sqft home built in 1986 that uses a power vent that is 24" wide still running since house was built. It's mounted on the top side wall of the gable roof. The opposite side a wooden leuver vent roughly 24"x20" is just one of the areas around the house drawing in fresh air. It likely would pass code today with those 16" x 8" soffet vents. Thoughts?

[@earlskie2u]

What’s the difference if radiant barrier is installed instead?

[@DanielinLaTuna]

What about embers getting in? Much of the West is now in high wildfire risk country. Seems like screening WOULD be a benefit?

[@katherinedoyle3313]

Thank you for this video! I have multiple leaks in my just turned 7 year old roof. It happens during incredibly heave and long lasting rains. The guys who installed the roof are saying that improper ventilation is causing the leaks. They came over about a year ago and I fixed a few of the issues, I thought. The bathroom was venting into the attic, I now have it venting outside. The gable vent was not working, and now it is. I have a 1600sqft. house and the gable vent is rated for that. It is stucco with the large overhangs that have no wear to put soffit vents. The only place that is allowing air to enter is another part of the attic that also had a gable vent which is no longer working. The GAF rep came out and basically said I needed to put in a power vent. You say no to those. I am pretty confused about what I actually need to do. Should I order some of the 4 inch vents and add them along the edge somewhere and keep the gable vent? I'm pretty sure that I have a leaking roof which is causing moisture issues. And not the other way around, but I am not a roofer. The ventilation for the attic was fine until this roof went on. Can a synthetic underlayment cause problems? Do you have any tips or suggestions for how I should proceed? There is old insulation in the attic, might updating that help?

[@pizza_ship_productions]

Call a General contractor and get a second opinion… trapped moisture can make a roof appear like it’s leaking.

[@JudyFish-x3n]

'68 Ranch hip roof pitch 3/12 16" center rafters Mid Michigan Cut out wide strip for vented soffits. While installing baffles from soffit side, 5 bays from the end corner/hip, ALL bays are clossed off-beams intersecting. How do i vent these areas? No ridge vents along hip.

[@davidmadison1087]

Philippines! I hope you can give me some advice. I'm going to build with a metal roof here in the tropics. Because of the typhoons which bring such high winds they never use roof vents. How can I safely vent it with no water coming in during those storms?

[@letsdiymyhome]

I would look at something like this here, but its not going to be cheep and I would talk with a local engineer: www.indiamart.com/proddetail/throat-ridge-vent-12480589312.html

[@billgillaspey9036]

Appreciate the info you present. How does one get in touch for follow up...but on one of your other vidoes ("coments turned off"...) Really want to connect.

[@Zcamm]

Quick question! I had an attic with a ridge vent and also soffits on 2 sides of the house, with an attic fan! Rolled insulation on the floor And it’s still hot as hell! I have my air handler , for the central AC up in my attic and gonna change the system and add in a heat pump system. Now can I spray foam the attic rafters to cool it off in the summer time cause I feel like my AC isn’t cooling as good as it should because it’s so damn hot. And of course it’s cold up their in the winter time, and I feel that it’s not gonna let the heat pump work as good as it could. Yay to the spray foaming rafters? What do you recommend I do? Thanks a million buddy!

[@MonroeTart-l8l]

I have a whole house fan upstairs to pull fresh air into the house through the windows. We use the whole house fan in the spring and fall when AC is not used, or in the summer after returning form a vacation, or weekend away when we turn AC up and returning home we can cool the upstairs and downstairs by turning on the whole house fan more quickly. We had a family of squirrels get into the attic and chewed up the wires on the whole house fan. Do you see an issue with using the whole house fan for cooling, or is it pulling in moisture from the house as you suggested that you should get rid of gable forced ventilation fans. I’d like to replace the whole house fan or get it repaired, but is it Ill-advised to use the whole house fan? 28:20

[@johnmalkowic693]

Thank you so much. I was debating between power vent and whirlybird. Now I know what to buy 👍. One little question. I have attic about 750sq feet . When installing whirly do I have to close other static roof vents or if they in “some” distance from then they can stay ?

[@letsdiymyhome]

How many box vents do you have? 3-4? then I would say you should be fine bit if you want the birds then pull them and install 2 birds... of course dot forget to cut them holes bigger for the bird... Make it a great day! O yes I would close them extra holes for effectiveness...

[@johnmalkowic693]

@@letsdiymyhome perfect guess 🙂 I have three of them . And I thought to replace them with just one whirly, but you mention 2 …hmm maybe I will do two just be double shure about proper air suction. Thank you so much for your help 👍

[@TheSkylar25]

We have a ridge vent system and it doesn't seem to work for crap. I cleaned all the soffit intakes thinking that was the culprit and it barely did anything. It feels like a sauna in there. I'm thinking about adding a whirly bird for extra venting.

[@TheSkylar25]

I think ours is the cobra type you spoke of. It definitely has the sos pad looking filter media. Maybe I'll blow it out with the air compressor to make sure the filter media isn't plugged up before adding a whirly bird.

[@SteveOOOOO]

sana in the Attic or sauna in the house? For the folks that are down south Arizona climate. I would be looking at two other options in the attic to fight heat. The one that would work best honestly would be turn the attic into a condition space which means at that point we will be then spray foaming against the roof sheeting and sealing up the attic which means now we Good heating coolant if one wanted to but definitely would want to keep a dehumidifier rolling up there. In the final option would be is look at something called the p2000 which is a reflectant film cheaper but does help a lot

[@TheSkylar25]

@@SteveOOOOO Sorry sauna in the attic we are in central Arkansas. We actually did purchase a dehumidifier recently. Could poor air flow in the attic affect the humidity level in the house?

[@SeeonX]

So I don't need a ridge vent and whirlybird?

[@gpsxbx5097]

correct, everywhere i read mixing venting systems is a big no no

[@Frogpslm3737]

I like your style going to the root cause snd effect of this project!

[@GaiaCarney]

Thank You @letsdiymyhome ⭐️ Do you know if ‘continuous soffit vents’ keep wildfire embers from entering the attic?

[@letsdiymyhome]

If it has the fine stainless steel screen in it should

[@michaelpiecuch7313]

I was told to close off my gable vents since I have now fully vented sofit and a ridge vent installed. Would that be true? Great videos

[@DeezNuttz_BoffaDem]

I would think so. Otherwise your gable vents will biff up the upwards air draw. Im not a professional, I am an idiot.

[@michaelpiecuch7313]

Lol I don’t think so, Thank you! Happy Holidays!

[@chadferguson3713]

Would a gable vent have the same issues as a power vent? I have a cookie cutter house with a 1000sq ft attic and had a new roof put on last year. The roofers put square vents back in to the original spaces venting high and low on the back side (4 pairs). The house does not have any soffits but there is gable vents on either side. I did some reading and it said that the gable vents remove too much pressure in the attic to allow the square vent to work properly so I added a gable fan to the one side so they would at least be pulling air through. It’s not ideal but will I have an issue like you described?

[@stevenwilliams6777]

This is one of the questions that scare me for I dont like pointing people wrong. now it is true gable vents remove too much pressure in the attic to allow the square vent to work properly for we need the air to move south to north .... If we are using the power fans in the summer to pull the heat out of the attic and on the other end of the home has the same size or bigger opening then the fan's opening you should be ok. my friend. we just don't want to restricted the air flow or that when problems will come! We will have a video coming shortly on controlling attic heat.

[@ProfAlpha]

Greetings, Great information. What would you recommend as a ventilation system for a 1600 sq. ft. dome home? With gratitude.

[@rkgsd]

I opted for small Whirlybirds when the roof was replaced 5 years ago. One goes over an open beam garage. Now I'm concerned about the bearings after what you said about the rain.

[@PHUSHEY]

The nice thing is that they are actually easy to work on and maintain. The problem I had (believe it or not) was jokers throwing beer bottles at them which dented one of the turbines.

[@kennethswann6458]

Do the whirlybird vents move even if there's no air moving past it during the day

[@birdlegs846]

I just subscribed, nice informative video! I have a small 2 bedroom 1.5 story house built in 1919 and the upstairs is finished so 2nd floor has a cathedral ceiling. I had Dense-pack cellulose blown in between the 2x4 rafters which helped prevent the bad ice dams i was getting in my gutters in the winter. Insurance company will pay for new roof (hail damage) this coming spring and the roofer wants to eliminate the box vents above the knee wall area then install a ridge vent. In my case I believe with the dense packed cellulose in between the rafters would make the ridge vent useless. eliminating the box vents over the knee walls would mean the only ventilation Id have would be coming from my soffit. In my case would I be correct in thinking I need those box vents above the knee walls for ventilation?

[@letsdiymyhome]

OMG I messed this wow.... Well if its not to late let me say this with 30yrs in roofing its sounds like to me you have a hot roof system now witch means The cavities are packed with insulation In this case we do not want to vent that space, allowing the are air to enter the sealed spades will cause nothing but problems such as condensation and mold and rot. This part of the roof should not have any venting period. It is apparent to me you may need a new contractor.... he just wanting to charge you extra for ridge vent when in fact you should not have it, lack of knowledge . I hope I understood you correctly Make It A Great Day!!! SteveOOOO

[@birdlegs846]

@@letsdiymyhome thx for your reply! Thats what I figured ridge vents would be useless. what about the 2 closed off knee wall voids on the left and right side of the roof, should they be vented? right now the knee walls are vented threw the soffit and 2 box vents on the roof over each of the 2 knee wall voids.

[@blasterman56]

What are your thoughts of "Radiant Barrier" insulation in the attack.

[@letsdiymyhome]

We Love it.... any time we can reduce heat its a score!

[@TheSteverad]

GREAT INFO!!!!!

[@earlskie2u]

Do I need to install a whirlybird vent even if I put a radiant barrier on the roof already?

[@SteveOOOOO]

Every roof should be vented unless you have a hot roof.

[@RRePETE]

Can you please help me? I have a TinyHouse with vaulted ceilings NO ATTIC. I have a ridge vent and I haven't been able to find out what I use to cover it. I know I dont put insulation over it. I can send you pictures. I just need to know what to use to cover the peak inside. Ty

[@letsdiymyhome]

to cover the ridge vent? are you saying that your building a tine home and need ridge vent type of product? or is it covered with a vent and your now looking to cover it?

[@RRePETE]

@@letsdiymyhome I have a TinyHouse that I bought 3/4 finished. It has an existing ridge vent. I need to insulate and drywall the ceiling. But I don't know what to do with the ridge vent from inside. I've seen pictures where it's been completely covered with a strip of wood like crown molding I guess. But to me defeats the purpose of the vents. I thought about getting vent covers (registers) like the ones used in central unit. Then covering the rest with some type of peak molding. Does that make sense now?

[@letsdiymyhome]

Now I get it ok I will get back to you tomorrow

[@letsdiymyhome]

Ok sorry for the delay, Now being you have a vaulted ceiling, I would be installing attic chute from the soffits to the ridge, this allows air movement from bottom to top, then install the insulation. I have to tall you that you should talk to a insulation engineering... My home has no venting and thats ok to when done correctly. I spayed 2" of close cell insulation in place of using chutes then added R32 over that. then sheet it according to your code requirements.

[@RRePETE]

@@letsdiymyhome problem is I don't have soffits either. This was a shed turn in ed into a tiny house. But I think I found the answer at Lowe's. Thanks for your help.

[@Searchng]

What else do you know? You seem like a great person to learn and hear stories from

[@paulbaker3144]

Power vents?! What about gable wall attic fans? I’m thinking I need two of them for our desert home where moisture isn’t a issue. There’s more than one to do it. I’d like to install a humidistat because the monsoon season can be very humid.

[@annfitzgerald7795]

I ha e a vaulted ceiling with no ventilation. Having condensation issues. What to do?

[@pizza_ship_productions]

If it’s insulated it either needs closed cell insulation to the r value your local area requires or you need to make sure you have a 1” air gap behind the insulation so air from the soffit vents to the ridge