STL HOME INSPECTOR TIPS: Sometimes You Just Need To Vent! (Part2)

                Well, we’re getting into the warmer weather finally, so our tour of the attic will need to be confined to the early morning hours (before it starts heating up too much up there). We’ll pretty soon need to start concentrating on other, cooler, areas of your home.  We’ve been talking about attic ventilation, the key to lower energy bills and a longer lasting roof.  I’m going to point out just a couple of really easy things to check to ensure your attic ventilation system is working at its best.

                  We introduced the concept of intake and exhaust ventilation the last time, so let’s explore intake ventilation a little deeper this time.  The most common type is called soffits venting, and in most modern homes it consists of the perforated panels that you see under the soffits or eaves of your home.  We have a photo here that illustrates what it often looks like.

                  As you are looking into your attic, look for a clear passage from your soffit vents to the attic.  Too often when conducting a home inspection in St. Louis, St. Louis County, and Jefferson County, I find either wood blocks between the rafters or trusses, or installed insulation blocking cooling air from the soffit vents from getting into the attic.  This completely destroys proper attic ventilation.

                  If insulation is blocking the soffit vents, clearing it out of the way can often be a DIY project. Be sure to take safety precaution and wear a good quality dust mask.  If you find wood blocking the vents, you’ll probably need the services of a handyman or small contractor who is familiar with setting up proper attic ventilation.  It’s a bit of a math exercise, but you or your contractor can get some help in figuring out if you have enough ventilation at this link.

                  Soffit vents can also be compromised by gable vents if you have a ridge vent installed.  As hot air escapes out the ridge vent, cooler air can get sucked in the gable vents instead of the soffit vents, and you end up with the attic air below the level of the gable vents not being changed.  The solution here is to seal off the gable vents with plastic so that the only way cooler air can get in is through the soffit vents.  The next time we’ll look at your exhaust venting.

AUTHOR CONTACT INFO:
Michael Chambers 
St. Louis Area Home Inspector
BrickKicker Home Inspections
Email: Michaelc@brickkicker.com
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-BrickKicker-of-St-Louis/86559727720
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