Another way to determine if your attic has sufficient ventilation is by installing a thermostat and monitoring the temperature. This is an excellent way to see if your attic controls moisture well. By monitoring the moisture levels, you can also determine how effective your attic's insulation and ventilation are.
Box roof vents (also called static, turtle, and louver vents) look like little boxes sitting on your roof. They allow air to escape as heat in your attic rises and pushes the hot air through the vents.
Shingles get very hot and prematurely age when poor roof ventilation keeps the attic too warm. Ice dams are a sign of poor roof ventilation, and they cause damage to shingles and eaves. If left untreated, they can even cause roof leaks.
Most building codes us the 1/300 rule for minimum residential attic ventilation recommendations. This means that for every 300 square feet of enclosed attic space, 1 square foot of ventilation is required – with half at the upper portion (exhaust vents) and half in the lower portion (intake vents).
However, just because there is no attic space doesn't mean you don't need ventilation. In these situations, roof ventilation and air circulation are still crucial to keeping your roofing dry and not too hot. Typically homes that do not have attics or crawlspaces still have rafter cavities.
Your roof vents should be split evenly with half dedicated to air intake and half dedicated for air exhaust. That means that a 2,400-square-foot home with a roof that has a moisture barrier would need 8 square feet of roof vent.
If you decide to hire a licensed plumber near you to handle the fix, you can expect to pay between $150 and $200 for this service, although it could be more depending on the severity of the problem.
If you have a two-story home, go upstairs to locate the pipe. You can verify whether a pipe is a vent pipe by listening as someone flushes the toilet. If the pipe amplifies the flushing sound, it's likely the vent pipe. To find the plumbing vent on the roof, look for a pipe extending about six inches from the roof.
Persistent Odors: Homes should refresh and clear out odors naturally through proper ventilation. If cooking smells, smoke, or other odors last longer than they should, it's likely your home isn't circulating air properly.
A clogged vent won't let air through and into the pipes, so the water remains stagnant in the plumbing system. Stagnant water can then accumulate in the pipes until the pipes can no longer contain them. This can then result in the water flowing back up and out of drains.
Supply vents typically look like small grates and, depending on your HVAC system's design, are located on walls, ceilings, and floors. You can identify supply vents in your home by turning the system fan on and holding a piece of paper in front of the vent. If air blows out, it's a supply vent.
Nails, shingles, and the old vent will need to be removed.
Roto-Rooter costs $100 to $600 on average for minor fixture repairs or clogged plumbing. Roto-Rooter rates for fixing a toilet or sink are less than for unclogging drains and sewer lines. Plumbing services for emergencies like burst pipes cost $1,000 to $3,500.
Excessive Heat in the Attic
With poor ventilation in house, the hot air concentrated at your attic's highest points stays trapped. This, in turn, can lead to uneven roof temperatures (ice dams), an overtaxed HVAC (higher energy bills), and other costly headaches.
Take a close look at the movement of the smoke. Shine a flashlight or turn on lights to get a good view of where and how the smoke moves. If the smoke blows into the attic in some places and outside in others, your ventilation works well. If the soffit vents are allowing air in, the smoke drifts inward.
It is NOT normal to see daylight come in through these areas. When you see light come in through these areas, it means that water can also get in, so the problem needs to be addressed immediately.
According to their guidelines, you should have 1 square foot of attic ventilation per 300 square feet of attic floor space, with a 50/50 balance of intake and exhaust ventilation.
In the case of a mono pitch or lean-to roof 10mm eaves ventilation is required together with 5mm ridge or top edge ventilation. If the roof pitch is 15 degrees or less then 25mm eaves ventilation is required.
For a home with 2000 square feet of attic floor space, you'll first divide 2000 by 300 (2000 ÷ 300 = 6.66). You need 6.66 square feet of attic ventilation. Since you want a balanced system, you divide by 2 so that half of the ventilation is intake and half is exhaust.