I got a new roof and they installed ridge vents. After looking at the house there is only soffit vents on one side of the house. Will this cause a problem for my roof later or shorten the life of the roof?
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Rule of thumb,ridge vent is only as good as it parther.They works togetther as one, and perform as a hold.I suggest having soffit vents on both sides of the roof.Keeping the air movement at all time. That will help to control moister that may cause mold problem down the road.
Roof ridge vents and soffit vents work together as one system, to vent the attic and keep it moisture free. Roofing contractor can install new & more soffit vents as needed to make it work. That will keep air movement at all times, mold free and longer life for your roof shingles.
I’m guessing that the reason why you don’t have soffit vents on one side of the house is because you don’t have the same type of ventilation (possibly an open architectural feature like vaulted ceilings)?
You can do some thing to accentuate the ventilation, such as installing a roof fan, or two. Sometimes a skylight can help, but if must be a vented skylight. This may be a nic feature for your home, in that it lets in more natural light, will help you to vent unwanted heat, and if you fry alot, it will help get rid of smoky smells!
If you have the cpapcity to add soffits, the rule is one every few feet - not less than one every six feet.
The other contractors are right - you may end up woth mold issues staining your roof, or worse, ice dams in your gutters, This will cause premature curling of the drip edge (the lowest part of your roof). You may get facia and gutter problems as well.
Since fan, vented skylight and soffit installations are fairly cheap and affordable verus the repairs that you may have to do if you do nothng - I think you should go for the preventative measures.
You need soffit vents for air intake. The ridge vent is the out put. Moisture travels on this current and is eliminated from your roof cavity. That is the purpose of venting and ridge vents are the most efficient if they have proper intake. If for some reason there is no passage, you could install solar powered vents that would suck the air out. A really good manufacturer is “Attic Breeze”
According to the Florida Building code the amount of soffit ventilation must be equal to or greater than the amount of ridge ventilation. It does not mention anything about having soffit vents on one side of the house only. In order to calculate if you have enough soffit intake use of these equations mentioned below 1. Determine the amount of ridge vents installed. Vent Opening (usually 1.25" - 1.75" depending on the type of ridge vent used) Vent opening (inches) X Lineal ft installed X 12 / 144 = sqft of ridge opening EXAMPLE 1.25" x 95 lineal ft = 118.7 x 12 = 1,424.4 / 144 = 9.8 sqft of ridge opening 2. Determine the amount of existing soffit • If you have the individual screens, use this method Count the amount of individual screens you have around the property and the size (4" x"12 , 6" x 12) etc. Using a 4" x 12" screen as an example multiple the total number of screens by 48 (4"x12"=48) then divide that number by 144. That number is your total amount of soffit venting 15 screens X 48 = 720 / 144 = 5.0 sq feet of soffit 3. For continues soffit venting use this method Vent opening width( in inches) X lineal feet of existing soffit X 12 / 144 = sqft of soffit venting 3" (soffit vent width) X 75’ (lineal feet of soffit) = 225 X 12 = 2,700 / 144 = 18.7 sqft of soffit venting
Ridge vents are the best steep slope roof top ventilation system in use today, but are invalid without proper amount of soffit vent and layout. As simple as that sounds, there is a specific formula for which exists numerous calculators available online (Air Vent’s website, GAF, etc).
That being said, ridge vent must be the dominant, if not the sole, exhaust route via the roof top. Intake and exhaust systems only work properly if they are allowed to work in an otherwise “sealed” environment. The biggest mistake “contractors” make in this situation is multiple vents being left on the roof with ridge vent. This simply creates an open air environment, and not true air flow for exhausting heat.
If you open the back door in a home, then open the front door, what happens? Both doors want to be sucked shut. However, if windows are open at the same time, that suction is non existent. Perfect example of steep slope roof (attic) ventilation.
You want between 40 and 50 percent of venting out the ridge and 50 to 60 percent intake at the eaves. This creates positive pressure. The standard rule of thumb is 1 square foot of venting per 300 square foot of flat attic space. The eave venting should be on both sides or you will get stagnant air, which will cause moisture problems. If you don’t have eave venting on one side you can add it by cutting in more vents at the bird blocking or using a product like SmartVent.
Another issue that can happen with poor venting is granual loss due to heat build up.