Velux has developed a No Leak Skylight which offers three layers of protection that comes with a 10-year installation warranty and a 20-year guarantee on the glass. Watch this video to find out more.

Related posts:

• ODL Tubular Skylight for Your Home

Faux slate and cedar shake roofing materials from DaVinci Roofscapes are manufactured from a polymer material that is:

• Impact resistant: Wasn’t damaged by blows from a baseball bat at freezing temperatures.
• Wind resistant: Tested in winds of 110 mph.
• Fire Resistant: Class A fire resistant rating.
• Durable: Comes with a 50-year limited warranty.

Related posts:

• How to Choose a Roof for Your Home
• (711) Faux or No

From roofing and siding to windows and doors, more and more of the products used in your home are not what they appear, and that may be a good thing. We examine a number of products made from synthetic materials that often perform better and cost less than the natural materials they replace.

Faux slate roofing from DaVinci Roofscapes looks like the real thing.

Roofing

Realistic looking faux slate and cedar shake roofing materials from DaVinci Roofscapes are made from a specially engineered polymer that is impact and wind resistant, has a Class A fire rating, and comes with a 50-year limited warranty.

In our tests, DaVinci roofing held up to blows from a baseball bat at below freezing temperatures, as well as heat from a torch.

JELD-WEN Fiberglass entry door.

Vinyl Siding and Fencing

Vinyl siding, such as the Exterior Portfolio line from Crane, and vinyl fencing by ActiveYards are durable building materials for your home that require little maintenance and keep their appearance for years to come.

Entry Doors

While wood entry doors look great when new, exposure to the elements can degrade the finish in just a few years.

Fiberglass doors, like those from JELD-WEN Windows & Doors, look like the real thing while holding up much better than natural wood.

A wood core in the door provides a solid feel and increased insulation. The core wood is treated with the preservative AuraLast to protect it from moisture, rot, and termites.

Urethane porch balusters manufactured by Fypon.

Spindles and Moldings

Balusters on porch railings are also subject to abuse from the weather. Spindles made from high-density urethane, such as those from Fypon, can be cut, sanded, and finished like wood while resisting decay, peeling, and termites.

Urethane and PVC products from Fypon are also available in a wide selection of ceiling medallions and moldings, including easy to install crown molding that employ premade corner blocks to eliminate the need for mitering.

Window Blocks

Glass blocks have been popular for years to let in natural light while ensuring privacy. Acrylic blocks, such as those from US Block Windows, provide advantages over traditional glass blocks, including:

• Lightweight: Acrylic blocks are 70% lighter than glass blocks, requiring less support than glass.
• Insulation: Acrylic blocks provide better insulation than glass, resulting in reduced heat loss.
• Breakage: Acrylic blocks are more impact resistant than glass blocks.

Formica 180fx simulated granite plastic laminate is hard to tell from natural stone.

Plastic Laminate Countertops

Plastic laminate countertops come in a wide range of patterns and colors that resemble other surfaces at a much lower cost. Recent advances, such as Formica 180fx, have taken the process to the next level, making an exceptionally realistic faux stone product that it difficult to tell from the real thing.

Marbleizing

Faux finishing techniques have been used for hundreds of years to give bland, painted surfaces the look of natural wood or stone.

Using a sponging technique, Carol Vonesh and Debra Liles apply multiple colors and layers of paint and glaze to give a plain painted column the look of “fantasy” marble.

Fantasy marble differs from traditional marbleizing in that it doesn’t reproduce the veins found in natural marble.

Graining

Using special tools and techniques, decorative painter David Walton grained this painted mantel to match the pine cabinet in the background.

Other Tips from This Episode

Related posts:

• Faux Graining Finishing Techniques for a Painted Mantle
• Faux Marbleizing Finishing Technique for Columns
• Advantages of Acrylic over Glass Window Blocks

If you’re fortunate enough to live in the Sunbelt or some other balmy region, chances are you’ve never heard of—or at least experienced—ice dams. I, on the other hand, live in New England, so every winter ice dams are as common—and as welcoming—as frostbite and sub-zero temperatures. That’s because ice dams can be destructive, problematic, and virtually impossible to remove once fully formed.

Ironically ice dams are often responsible for one of the most beautiful and iconoclastic of all winter images: glistening, crystal-clear icicles hanging from gutters and eaves. Heck, even I marvel at the delicate beauty of icicles, but only when they’re hanging off someone else’s house.

Here’s a brief explanation of how ice dams typically form: It all starts with a roof blanketed in snow. The snow layer that is sitting directly on the roof begins to melt, and water runs down the roof underneath the snow. When the water hits the overhanging eave of the house, it begins to freeze. Some water often drains into the gutter, where it freezes as well.

As the snow continues to melt and water freezes at the eave, ice eventually builds up along the roof forming a thick ridge or dam. Then, as water runs down the roof, it’s blocked by the ice dam, and forced up under the shingles. I know this seems to defy all laws of physics (and commonsense), but water will actually flow up the roof, working its way under the shingles. And that’s where the trouble really begins, since roofs are designed to shed water running down the shingles, not up.

Over time the water will work its way beneath the shingles and the underlayment, and into the seams between the plywood roof sheathing. From there, water drips directly into the attic, where it soaks through the insulation and ceiling, before dripping into the room below. If not detected immediately, the damage can be very difficult and expensive to repair, especially if it ends up ruining the floor, walls, or furnishings.

Now, the above explanation is a rather simplified version of how ice dams form, the science behind this phenomenon is much more complicated, but if you go back to the very beginning, you’ll find a clue to solving this problem. The entire process starts when snow sitting on the roof begins to melt. That’s key because ideally you want the interior attic temperature to be as close as possible to the outside air temperature. That’s why there’s only insulation on the attic floor, not between the roof rafters.

However, if the attic floor isn’t properly insulated or if heated air is leaking through the ceiling, via cracks, crevices, ductwork and light fixtures, then the attic will become warm. And it doesn’t take very much heat to raise the attic temperature enough to melt the snow on the roof. Since the overhanging eave extends past the house, it remains cold, which is why the water freezes when it hits the eave.

So, what can you do to prevent ice dams on your home? Try these ideas:

1. Seal Air Leaks: Use caulk, insulation and weatherstripping to seal all upstairs ceilings to stop heat from flowing into the attic.
2. Add Insulation: Measure the depth of the insulation on the attic floor, and add more, if necessary. Call the local building inspector or licensed contractor to find out how much insulation is required in your area.
3. Attic Ventilation: Check to be sure that the attic ventilation system is operating properly. Most homes have soffit vents and ridge or gable-end vents, which allow air to flow into the attic along the eaves and out the attic at the ridgeline or gable walls. Be certain the attic-floor insulation isn’t blocking the soffit vents. And never staple plastic or anything else over attic vents. Remember, you want attic temperature to be as close as possible to the outside air temperature.

If your home already has ice dams, there’s not too much you can do about them. Avoid installing electric cables or any other device to melt the ice, as they won’t solve the problem. You can try using a snow rake to remove as much snow as possible from the roof. That’ll at least remove the source of water. Just be sure to work safely from the ground, since it’s never a good idea to climb onto a snow-covered roof.

Related posts:

• How to Size Attic Exhaust Vent Fans for Your Home
• How to Properly Install an Attic Gable Vent Fan
• The Search for Hidden Roof Leaks

Don’t you just love it when you get an unexpected surprise? Unless, of course, it’s like the surprise I got this weekend. It was one of those cold, gray, dull, rainy weekends that make you want to just stay in bed. That’s kind of hard for me to do, though. You see, I’ve always been a bit of a morning person. In fact, sleeping in to me means 6:30 a.m.

Nonetheless, my daughter and I made the best of the wet weekend that we could. We went out to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant . . . we played games on the computer . . . we even went to see the new Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog. In spite of the weather, it actually had the makings of a decent weekend. Until I heard . . .

“Daddy, why is there water on the counter?“

I looked over and water was dripping out of the wall cabinets. I walked into the kitchen, turned on the light, looked up at the ceiling and noticed it was turning into a leopard with spots all over. Somewhere, somehow the roof was leaking.

Of course by this time there was very little I could do. Nighttime had set in and it was still raining. So I did what I could to mop up the water and strategically place pots and pans where I could to catch the drips, and I knew that by the next day I would be missing a block of time at work to be up on my roof making repairs, especially since the next day showed an 80% chance of rain during the day and the evening, and another 70% the next day.

Did I happen to mention that we’re in the midst of the Christmas season and on top of the TV episodes were trying to put together, we’ve also got a Christmas trivia radio show to do? On top of all that, we had to make a run to Detroit, plus shoot three days with Joe Truini prior to that. In other words, December is an extremely busy month. This could not have happened at a worse time, but I can guarantee you that my insurance company would not accept any excuses if I did not get up on the roof to mitigate any further damage. So, like it or not, today I was a temporary roofer.

If you ever run into this type of situation where you need to make temporary repairs to your roof in order to keep the water from pouring in and ruining a ceiling — or worse, several thousand dollars worth of expensive furniture, electronics, flooring or whatever else you may have in your home — here are a couple of friendly tips.

Make sure you have all of your tools and materials before you ever go up on the roof. Making as few trips as possible up and down the ladder is just common sense. Plus, if you’re a klutz like me, the fewer times you go up and down a ladder, the less likely the chances are of a disaster happening.

Materials are pretty easy. You’ll need some tarps (I purchased two 9 x 12 blue tarps), some treated one by two’s, a handful of eight penny nails and a tube of 100% silicone.

Your tools will include a ladder that reaches at least 2 to 3 feet above the eave of the roof, a broom or rake to help remove any debris, hammer, caulking gun, nail apron, a small saw to cut the 1 x 2’s to length (I like using a coping saw for something this simple) and, for me, the most important tool of all . . . my Cougar Paws. That happens to be the brand name of the shoes I wear any time I get on a roof. This isn’t meant to be a commercial, but . . . Cougar Paws makes an excellent shoe that practically guarantees that even someone as clumsy as me won’t fall off the roof due to a slick surface.

The tarps, 1 x 2’s and the broom and/or rake can be tossed up on the roof from the ground. The remaining tools can easily be carried in the nail apron, which means you should only have to make one trip up. Installing the tarp is as easy as laying it out on the roof and attaching it with the 1 x 2’s on top. They need to be running vertical with the roof, nailed down securely and then place a dab of silicone on top of each nail head to seal off any chance of moisture seeping through the nail holes.

If you have to use more than one tarp, be sure to lay the lower level first and let the next tarp overlap the lower one by at least a foot. The top of the tarp should roll over the ridge to prevent water from running underneath and making any efforts totally worthless.

Here’s result of my frantic race against more oncoming thunderstorms. You can see that I have five rows of 1 x 2’s holding the tarp down. During the evening, the gulley-washers came down again and I crawled up into the attic twice to check for leaks, but not a drop was found.

The other night, I was getting dressed to go out for the evening when I heard the most ominous sound a homeowner can hear: Drip . . . Drip. To my chagrin, a rivulet of water was making its way down the bathroom wall and dripping off the chair rail.

Within seconds I was in the attic, crawling around the ceiling joists with a flashlight (not an easy thing to do in heels, I might add), trying to trace the water back to the source of the leak. Turns out, there was not one but SIX leaks, scattered here and there around the attic! Eight, if you count the steam coming out of my ears as I dove around with plastic buckets.

I’m a woman trying to sell a house, I have a showing in less than 24 hours, it’s pitch dark and raining frogs and toadstools, and my roof has taken on the characteristics of a kitchen colander. I’m covered in insulation dust, I’m expected at a holiday party in five minutes, I’m almost out of buckets, and a new roof is NOT on my Christmas list!

I couldn’t do anything more about it right then, but as soon as the sun came out the next day, I hauled out my rickety old extension ladder (lovingly dubbed “The Widowmaker”) and headed up to investigate the roof.

Roof leaks are tricky buggers – water can sneak under a broken shingle at one end and snake its way along the underlayment before seeping into your attic someplace else. Once in the attic, it can follow pipes and joists for long distances before finally dripping onto your ceiling.

To add insult to injury, sometimes it only happens when it’s raining hard, or the wind is just right, or you had eggs for breakfast. And don’t get me started on the fact that something supposed to repel water is made from thousands of individual pieces – full of nail holes attaching them to something that rots when it gets wet!

Anyway, I headed up to the roof armed with measurements to locate the drips, but I knew that the problems could be anywhere.

How to Find a Roof Leak

My roofing experience is rather limited, but I did know enough to:

          Seal exposed nails.

Start at the Source

Using landmarks such as edges and vents, I was able to locate the areas of roof directly outside the wet spots. I was looking for loose, broken, raised, or bent shingles, pulled-out nails, and any other damage.

Question the Obvious Suspects

When shingle damage didn’t explain everything, I moved on to inspect the parts of the roof most likely to spring a leak:

  Seal around plumbing vents.

• Plumbing and furnace vents
• Chimneys
• Roof valleys
• Skylights
• Ice dams
• Seams where shingles meet flashing, framing, or masonry
• Satellite dishes and antennas
• Ridge vents

Simulate a Rainstorm

Using a water hose, you can systematically test each section of roof to try to find out where the water’s coming from. For the time being, I decided to skip this step. Wet shingles are dangerously slick, and my relationship with the Widowmaker is tentative at best! I’ll come back to this if I need to.

                                          Seal joints on ridge vents.

Armed and Dangerous

Armed with enough roof cement to glue together a warship, my investigation yielded answers that were, as they say, “clear as mud.” I found:

• Bent and exposed flashing around the plumbing vent, an easy fix. One down, five to go!

• A small hole in a shingle, probably caused by those wicked walnuts. Two accounted for! Moving on.


    Patched damaged shingle.

• Here’s where the whole operation took a bad turn. The other leaks weren’t so easy. I crawled all over that roof and found nothing out of place, although I added some sealant under any suspicious shingles just in case.

  Finally (it’s always the last place you look) I discovered that the sealant on the ridge vent had completely disintegrated, leaving the seams wide open and many of the nails uncovered. Somebody (not me) had used silicone, which eventually broke down over time.

  The ridge vent had become a virtual funnel, which would explain the sudden appearance of so many drips in different places. I sealed that thing like it was the space shuttle!

                                  My freshly repaired plumbing vent.

Watching the Skies

Having attacked the roof like a tar-coated ninja, I slowly backed away and am now waiting for confirmation that it worked. We’re forecast to have rain tonight, so I’ll be spending the evening in the attic with a flashlight, daring the roof to spring another leak.

It better not, that’s all I have to say! You’ve heard that saying about a “woman scorned”? Well, that’s nothing compared to the fury of a woman in a freezing attic on a dark night, jockeying buckets like bowling balls.

Further Information

• How to Find Roof Leaks in Your Home (video)
• How to Repair the Roof on Your Home (video)
• How to Clean and Inspect Your Roof (video)
• Leak-Proof Flashing: Fixing Leaks Around Chimneys (article)

Related posts:

• Combining an Attic Vent Fan with a Roof Ridge Vent
• How to Repair the Roof on Your Home
• How to Find Roof Leaks in Your Home

Our home is 10 years old and the asphalt roof shingles are starting to stain badly on the north exposure. Is there something that we can use to clean off the staining and treat the shingles to prevent further staining? -Tim

Hi Tim,

Your stains are probably caused by the airborne spores of a blue-green algae known as Gloeocapsa Magma, which is often mistaken for mold or mildew. While doing little harm to your shingles, the black streaks caused by the algae are unsightly.

Algae can be killed and the stains removed using chemical cleaners, though they usually returns over time. Use a cleaner specially made for killing algae, or by spraying a mixture of one part bleach to four parts water with TSP (trisodium phosphate) or other detergent added in a garden pump-up sprayer. Allow the bleach to remain on for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse it off with a hose.

Note that bleach may kill or damage plants, so wet down or cover any shrubs or flowers that will come in contact before starting. Repeated use of harsh chemicals or pressure washing can damage or shorten the life of your shingles.

Once the roof is clean, consider installing strips of zinc or copper—which are toxic to algae—along your roof below the ridge. Molecules of the metal will then wash down the roof each time it rains to keep new algae from forming. A better solution is to specify algae resistant shingles, which have copper granules embedded in them, the next time you have your roof replaced.

For more information, check out our article on How to Remove and Prevent Algae Stains on Asphalt Shingle Roofs.

Good luck with your project,

Related posts:

• How to Remove Water Stains from Furniture
• How to Choose a Roof for Your Home
• White Efflorescence Stains on Retaining Walls

It’s important to keep your gutters clean to prevent them from clogging. Elbows in downspouts are the worst culprits, and the flexible metal cable of a plumber’s snake is the best way to clean them out. Insert the end of the snake in the downspout until it meets resistance, then turn the crank and work it back and forth to loosen the clog. Insert a garden hose in the downspout and turn on the water to flush out any debris.

Related posts:

• (685) Family Room Addition: The “Hunt” for More Room
• The Importance of Keeping Your Gutters Clean
• How to Spring Clean the Outside of Your Home

From natural materials like slate and wood to manmade products such as asphalt, sheet metal, and plastic polymers; there are more types and styles of roofing to choose from today than ever before. While each has its advantages and shortcomings, they all can add a distinctive design element to your home. So which one is right for you?

What to Look for in a Roof

There are many factors to consider when selecting a roof including:

• How long will it last?
• Does it hold up during natural disasters such as wildfires or hurricanes?
• Is it too heavy for the existing roof framing?
• Does the roof have enough slope?
• Will the look complement the style of the house?
• Is the type of roofing allowed by local building codes?
• And finally, how much does it cost?

Pros and Cons

Some types of roofing may be better suited for your house than others. Factors such as the slope of the roof and strength of the framing could limit your choices. In areas prone to wildfires or hurricanes, look for a product with a high fire rating or good wind resistance. In addition, steps can be taken during the installation of many types of roofing to improve their resistance to fire or wind. Below is a rundown on the different types of roofing available.

Asphalt Composition Shingles

Photo Courtesy of CertainTeed Corporation

• The most popular roofing for homes, comprising over 80% of residential roofing.
• Made of either an organic fiber mat (better for cold weather and wind resistance) or fiberglass (more fire and moisture resistant) which is then impregnated with asphalt and coated with mineral granules.
• Available in either traditional 3-tab shingles or thicker laminated “architectural” shingles.
• Algae resistant shingles are available in humid climates to prevent staining.
• Moderate in weight.
• Can be used on fairly low to steeper sloped roofs.
• Good fire resistance, fair wind resistance.
• Inexpensive.

Metal

Photo Courtesy of Metal Sales Manufacturing Corporation

• May be composed of steel, aluminum, copper, or zinc alloy.
• Steel roofs come with either a zinc coating or painted finish.
• Copper roofs are installed unfinished and acquire a protective green patina with age.
• Available in sheets or in shingles that resemble other materials.
• Absorb a third less heat than asphalt.
• Made up of mostly recyclable material.
• Can be installed with the fasteners hidden (standing seam) or exposed.
• Lightweight.
• Available for low or steep sloped roofs.
• Good resistance to both fire and wind.
• Moderate (steel) to expensive (copper) in price.

Plastic Polymer

Photo Courtesy of EcoStar

• Molded from a high-tech plastic polymer material.
• Available in a number of different styles that resemble slate or wood shakes.
• Expected to be long lasting and low maintenance.
• Made from recycled materials and can be recycled again when replaced.
• Light (ArmorLite) to moderate (EcoStar) in weight.
• Can be used on moderate to steep sloped roofs.
• Good fire and wind resistance.
• Moderate in price.

Clay Tile

Photo Courtesy of Ludowici Roof Tile

• Traditional Italian or Spanish look, can also be made to resemble wood shakes or slate.
• Color can fade over time.
• Long lasting and low maintenance, but brittle and can break.
• Heavy, requires reinforced roof framing to support.
• Can be used on moderate to steeper sloped roofs.
• Excellent fire resistance, fair to low wind resistance.
• Expensive.

Concrete Tile

Photo Courtesy of Eagle Roofing Products

• Can be made to resemble traditional clay tiles, wood shakes, or slate.
• Color can be throughout tile or only applied on the surface.
• Long lasting and low maintenance but can break.
• Heavy, requires reinforced roof framing to support.
• Can be used on moderate to steeper sloped roofs.
• Excellent fire resistance, fair to low wind resistance.
• Moderate in price.

Slate

• One of the oldest roofing materials.
• Requires specially trained workers to install.
• Long lasting, durable (varies depending on where it was quarried).
• Heavy, requires reinforced roofing structure to support.
• Steep sloped roofs only.
• Good resistance to fire and wind.
• Very expensive.

Wood

• Available in sawn shingles or split shakes.
• Commonly made of cedar, but can be made of other rot resistant woods as well.
• Gives natural look, weathers to a silvery gray.
• Short lifespan, requires periodic maintenance.
• Moderate in weight.
• Can be used on moderate to steep sloped roofs.
• Good wind resistance, poor fire resistance (can be treated with a fire retardant).
• Moderate in price.

Roofing Comparison

The following table gives an overview of the various materials available. Weight and cost are listed per square of roofing (100 square feet) and include both labor and materials. Actual price may vary depending on the particular product used, the complexity of the job, and labor costs in different parts of the country. The cost per year indicates the price of the labor and materials per square over the roof’s projected life.

Warranties

There are two warranties to consider when roofing your home. The manufacturer’s warranty covers defects in the roofing material. A separate warranty may be issued by the roofing contractor to handle problems arising from improper installation.

A warranty is no better than the company that writes it, so make sure the product comes from a reputable manufacturer with the financial resources to stand behind it. This applies to the roofing contractor as well, since a fly-by-night roofer may be long gone before their guarantee expires.

It is important to read the warranty carefully to see what is covered and excluded. Some warranties are not transferable when you sell your house while others are limited to the cost of materials or are prorated over time.

Your roof is your home’s single most important defense when it comes to protecting it from the elements, so it makes sense to make sure it’s done right.

Related Links

• National Roofing Contractors Association
• How to Hire a Roofer
• Is Your Roof Warrenty Worth the Paper It’s Written On?

Asphalt:

• Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association
• CertainTeed

Tile:

• Tile Roofing Institute
• Clay Tile: Ludowici Roof Tile
• Concrete Tile: Eagle Roofing Products

Metal:

• Metal Roofing Alliance
• Metal Sales Manufacturing Corporation

Plastic Polymer:

• EcoStar
• ArmorLite Roofing Technology

Slate:

• National Slate Association
• The New England Slate Company

Wood:

• Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau
• Goat Lake Forest Products

Related posts:

• Advantages of Synthetic Slate or Shake Roofing for Your Home
• How to Remove Black Roof Stains
• How to Repair the Roof on Your Home

I want to install attic vent fans in my roof. Is there a formula on how many you need and the size? -Lin

Hi Lin,

Attic exhaust vent fans can reduce your air conditioning energy costs in the summer as well as prevent condensation and ice dams from forming during the winter. While most are wired into your home electrical system, solar powered vent fans are available that require no electrical hookup. Attic vent fans are designed either to fit over a hole cut in your roof or to mount to the inside of a gable vent.

To determine what size power vent fan(s) you need for your attic, you first need to know the size of your attic in square feet.

Attic Size

To determine the size of your attic, multiply the width by the length of the attic floor in feet. For a single story house, this is usually the same as the square footage of the house itself, plus any attached garage area.

• Example (20’ wide by 50’ long attic): 20’ x 50’ = 1,000 sq. ft. attic space

Vent Fan Size

Next, multiply the square feet of attic space by 0.7 to get the minimum number of cubic feet of air per minute that the fan should be rated to move.

• Example: 1,000 sq. ft. attic x 0.7 = 700 CFM minimum fan rating

Add an additional 20% (CFM x 1.20) if you have a steep roof, and 15% (CFM x 1.15) for a dark roof. Attic vent fans are commonly rated from 800 to 1,600 CFM, making one fans suitable for attics of up to around 2,200 square feet.

Vent Fan Location

Locate roof mounted fans on the back of the roof below the ridge (but not so high as to be visible from the front of the house) in the middle of the main part of the attic. Install gable mounted fans on the gable vent at end of the house faces away from the prevailing winds.

Intake Air Vents

It’s also important to have plenty of soffit or gable vents for the fan to draw air into the attic. To find out if you have enough vent space, divide the cubic feet of air per minute that the fan is rated for by 300 to come up with the minimum number of square feet of intake vent space needed for that size fan.

• Example: 700 CFM ÷ 300 = 2.33 sq. ft. intake vent area

If you prefer the answer in square inches rather than square feet, multiply the answer by 144 and round to the nearest inch (2.33 x 144 = 336 sq. in. vent area).

Fan Thermostat

Set the thermostat on your attic vent fan so that it cuts on between 100° and 110° F. Humidity sensors are also available that cut the fan on if moisture in the attic becomes too high.

Ridge Vents

It’s not a good idea to use a power vent fan if your house has a ridge vent, since the fan will tend to draw in air from the ridge. This works against the natural function of the ridge vent to expel hot air out of the attic as it rises. Also, it’s possible the fan could create enough draft to draw rain in through the ridge vent.

Good luck with your project,

Further Information

• Attic Ventilation
• Attic Venting and Installing Exhaust Fans
• Adding Soffit Vents

Related posts:

• How to Properly Install an Attic Gable Vent Fan
• Combining an Attic Vent Fan with a Roof Ridge Vent
• Ice Dam Cometh: How to Prevent Ice Dams on Your Home