Venting frustrations: Keeping attics snow-free
Q. We live in a Colonial with two dormers. When we have high winds, light, powdery snow will blow in through the soffit vents into the unfinished attic. When the snow melts, we have (small) leaks and water stains. How do we keep it out?
A. I used to have similar leaks until I installed baffle vents and a plywood subfloor. After installing the plywood, any snow that blew in landed on the floor, melted, and eventually evaporated. Baffle vents are also called rafter baffles, attic baffles, channel vents, vent chutes, proper vents, and a boatload of other names. Say them three times fast!
Try this: Install Styrofoam rafter baffles and seal them in place. You’ll need to crawl to the end of the eave to access this area and insert the baffle into the rafter bay, keeping the outside edge of the baffle parallel to the exterior-wall sheathing. Staple the baffle against the roof deck about every 4 inches.
Make sure there is a clear airflow path through the baffle. Don’t crush or damage the baffle – it’s easy to do. The goal here is to create a ventilation channel and to seal off the open soffit/eve area.
Once the baffle is in, install plywood on the floor joists or rough fit foam board around the baffle to protect the rafter bay below it. Seal the plywood or foam board with a bead of foam sealant, then fit foam-board blocks to close off and separate the soffit area from the attic.
Installing baffle vents and sealing them will also increase the effectiveness of your insulation. It’s not an expensive project and can be done with minimal tools and materials.
Q. I just read your article on ice dams, and I have a quick question. One of your recommendations was to ensure that you have adequate gable or soffit-to-ridge ventilation. How is that done? What kind of company would I hire to assess that?
Q. The only problem with ridge vents is that they don’t work when covered with snow and ice, as mine are for the first time in 18 years. How are cathedral ceilings vented?
A. The snow will quickly melt at the ridge, so no worry there.
A cathedral or vaulted roof has no separate attic to vent, but air circulation is still necessary. Venting this space is done by installing soffit vents, a continuous ridge vent, and then connecting the two with a series of baffle vents, installed within each rafter bay.
In a vaulted roof, the soffit vent serves as an intake, and the ridge vent functions as the outtake, or exhaust, vent. Air flows in the soffit vent, upward through the baffle vents, and out of the ridge vent. This cools the underside of the roof deck, removing heat and moisture that could otherwise damage the roof.
Baffle vents also keep insulation from blocking up the eaves.
Cathedral ceiling venting is usually handled before drywall or plaster is installed. It is best done during new construction or when reroofing, because it involves installing venting at the eves, venting at the ridge, and new roofing at the ridge.
While a roofer is best equipped to handle the ridge vent, a contractor or carpenter will do a better job retrofitting gable-end vents in your siding. Most roofers I know try to avoid dealing with siding and trim. So to answer your question: Both are capable, but a carpenter will probably do a nicer job.
Q. Our roof rake broke, and we attempted to jerry-rig a pool-vacuum head on an 18-foot pole. This barely reached past the edge. Everyone was insisting we needed to get the snow off. Insurance agents were telling clients they are responsible for cleaning roofs, but it’s impossible without safety harnesses. It’s melting now, but for future reference, how do we get someone to do this if everyone is booked? The only wives urging their husbands to do this are those contemplating divorce!
A. I’m sure you don’t want to hear this, but I’m a big fan of building and establishing a relationship with a contractor you can trust. Using the same contractors (over and over) to do the work on your property builds loyalty and reliability – especially in times of need.
I make my regular customers a priority! These are the people who call on me time and time again to work on their property because we have developed a relationship of trust and performance delivered.
These people are not “tire-kickers,” they are not looking for the low-bid contractor all the time. Once the relationship is there, you will have trusted contractors on your side and a spot on their dance card!