How to Figure Attic Ventilation
- 1). Ventilate your attic by keeping all soffit vents clear of debris and blockage. Allowing air to circulate into the attic, particularly during cold winter months, is one of the most effective ways of reducing the likelihood that ice dams will form on your roof and keeping your entire home more energy efficient.
- 2). Install and maintain rafter vents. Rafter vents improve the performance of soffit vents and allow cool air to circulate inside the attic. Building codes in most communities require rafter vents, so it is unlikely that your house was built without any rafter vents. If missing, install new rafter vents. Keep these clear of debris and obstruction to ensure proper ventilation.
- 3). Remove powered attic fans. Homeowners often install electrically powered attic fans to draw in cool air from the outside and remove warm air. These fans almost always cost more to operate than producing energy savings. Worse, attic fans may pull air conditioned air up from the home, reducing the energy efficiency of your air conditioner by forcing it to work harder to cool the entire home.
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