What Are The Different Types of Roof Vents?

The finest roof ventilation systems not only prolong the life of your roof but also help you save money on your energy bills while simultaneously improving the health of your home.

Roof vents are useful for a variety of applications, but their one major purpose is to remove stale air (exhaust) or introduce fresh air into your home (intake).

A gable vent on a house with yellow wooden sidings, What Are The Different Types of Roof Vents?

The Most Common Types Of Roof Vents

We'll look at some of the most frequent roof venting systems now that we've addressed the significance of vented roofs, as well as the distinctions between intake and exhaust design vents.

Stainless steel roof boot vent

Different Type Of Roofing Exhaust Vents

When it comes to selecting the finest roof vent for exhaust, get assistance from a professional. Because most homes will require a new roof in order to install roof vents, obtaining quotes from reputable roofing contractors is well worth the effort.

This topic is covered since, without knowing your present roof's configuration as well as the architectural style of your home, it would be difficult to explain all of the advantages and drawbacks of each alternative.

Ridge Vents (Most Common Exhaust)

Asphalt shingle roof with a ridge vent

Ridge vents are the most popular exhaust vents. If you get a roof estimate in Massachusetts, this sort of vent is likely to be included. If your list doesn't contain a ridge vent, see whether the contractor plans to utilize one and why it's appropriate for your specific roofing project.

Off Ridge Vents

On a roof with three-tab asphalt shingles, a metal off-ridge vent is installed. Active Ventilation Products, Inc (mentioned below) offers this UV-45 Universal Vent as a separate product.

Off-ridge vents differ significantly from ridge vents in terms of function and appearance. Ridge vents, on the other hand, are more comparable to box vents than off-ridge ventilators. "Off-ridge ventilators" are more comparable to box vents than they are to ridge ventilation!

Box Vents (aka Louver Vents)

Roof vents are just like off-ridge vents, with the exception that they're far more common. Cutting a hole in the roof for the vent to rest over is the first step in installing a roof vent. Box vents and roof gable vents share another thing in common: they're both used to provide ventilation. Gable vents, like box vents, are often used in clusters across the roof to provide extra ventilation. nBox vents aren't enough to vent your entire roof!

Hard-Wired Powered Attic Vents

An attic vent with a powered fan is seen from the outside. A powered attic vent, often known as a power vent in attics, is a fan-propelled gadget that aids in the removal of stale air from attics.

Air conditioners, when put in an environment where air conditioning isn't available, work similarly to a window-mounted box fan during a hot summer day. However, they can remove heat effectively, but they come with a cost: increased energy expenditures.

Solar Powered Attic Vents

Solar panel roof vent

Solar-powered attic ventilation eliminates the expense of traditional hard-wired vents by almost 90 percent, making it an even more appealing option. Although a fan in the attic increases airflow and noise reduction, it does not compensate for the disadvantages of powered attic vents in general.

Roof Turbines

A stainless steel turbine roof vent

We've always been a fan of the phrase "whirlybird," so we're intrigued by the Whirlybird. This is one of our favorite aspects of having a rooftop turbine. You may stand in your driveway and point at your home while yelling, "That's my whirlybird!" to your neighbors. Wind turbines, on the other hand, have a number of drawbacks and benefits that can influence the health of your roof and the ventilation in your attic.

Cupola Vents

Two white Cupola vents on metal sheet roof house

You could be the proud owner of a cupola vent, which is essentially a tower on top of your roof. Because they were created to address an issue that affects only a small fraction of homeowners, cupola vents are one of the most costly, difficult, and ineffective types of roof vents available.

A bike with no pedals is similar to having no exhaust ventilation at all. The air may flow a little, but it won't go very far!

Soffit Vents (Most Popular Intake Vent)

A house with decorative stone sidings and soffit vents and white fascia board

The most common type of roof intake venting is soffit ventilation, which comprises one half of the most popular intake and exhaust combination (soffit vents for intake, ridge vents for exhaust).

Most homeowners and roofers choose soffit vents because they are unquestionably the most cost-effective intake vent available. If the style of your house permits it, most new construction developers include soffit vents in the design.

What exactly is a soffit vent?

Soffits are intake vents that are attached directly to your eaves and located immediately beneath your roof line. Some people refer to this area as the "roof overhang."

Gable Vents

A white gable roof vent

Gable vents are a form of intake that also functions as an exhaust mechanism, thus they are somewhat dated. Gable vents, unlike the vertical ventilation described above, utilize horizontal or cross-ventilation to assist keep air moving through the attic space. The basic concept is that air enters one end of the attic and exits through the other.

A gable vent is usually utilized on a gable roof, since it may be installed on both sides of the house. The cross breeze can be limited by rafter beams, peaks, valleys, dormers, and other portions of the roof on complicated roofs.

Although having more surface area for venting on the roof is usually preferable, you should avoid combining a gable vent with any vertical ventilation option. Cross ventilation, on the other hand, has several disadvantages. Because air frequently can't flow from a vertical intake to a vertical exhaust because of it, cross ventilation is ineffective and may even be detrimental. When gable vents are used, the objective of using soffit and ridge vents is lost.