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Why Both Ridge & Soffit Venting are Needed under Building Roofs InspectAPedia®  -     Adding a ridge vent alone can increase building heating costs Adding soffit venting alone is ineffective How to Correct Inadequate Attic Venting to Stop Attic Condensation, Ice Dam Leaks, Attic Mold, & Roof Structure Damage

Both Ridge and Eaves or Soffit Ventilation are Needed in Buildings. This article describes inspection methods and clues to detect roof venting deficiencies, insulation defects, and attic condensation problems in buildings. It describes proper roof ventilation placement, amounts, and other details. This article is part of the series ROOF VENTILATION SPECIFICATIONS and also ATTIC CONDENSATION CAUSE & CURE.

Our photo at page top shows a modern synthetic mesh type ridge vent (with modest airflow capacity) and our photo at left shows a typical installation of continuous soffit or eaves intake venting at the lower roof edges of a building.

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Both Ridge and Eaves Venting Are Necessary

Beware of adding a ridge vent without soffit vents (the worst) or soffit vents without a ridge vent (bad) or only gable-end vents (usually bad). The up-draft of air from the building (convection current of rising warm air which moves up through most buildings) will be increased and will mean unnecessary heat loss if you have a ridge vent to vent air out without also providing good intake venting at the soffits or eaves.

A High-Capacity Ridge Vent Moves More Air than a Low-Profile Good-looking Vent

The popular plastic mesh type ridge vent shown in this photograph is popular where ridge vents are installed on new homes or as retrofits. Builders and owners like the ability to nail roof shingles over the easily-stored, transported, and installed roll-out plastic mesh that is simply laid across an opening cut along the building's ridge.

But we have observed that this ridge vent design passes much less air than the older, uglier aluminum ridge vent shown in our sketch above. We prefer the older product which moves air.

Continuous High Capacity Eaves or Soffit Intake Venting Provides Adequate Intake Air Under Roofs

As we show in this pair of photos, continuous soffit intake venting will provide optimum intake air flow between every rafter pair.

Installing Continuous High Capacity Eaves or Soffit Intake Venting Works Best to Avoid Attic Moisture, Mold, & Ice Dams

Here are examples of inadequate intake ventilation: vents at the soffits are intermittent or "spot vents" or are simply too small.

Don't install intermittent or occasional or faux soffit intake venting or vents with too little opening area such as we show in the photo at left. Not only are the openings too small to pass enough air (obstructed further by the louvers and insect screens), intermittent soffit intake vents or little round or rectangular soffit spot vents are singularly ineffective in providing good under-roof or attic ventilation. Continuous soffit/eaves intake venting is the proper location for the intake air, in order to assure that the entire under-side of the roof sheathing is vented and kept dry. Not what is shown in our photo (left).

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INTERIORS of BUILDINGS
AIR BYPASS LEAKS
AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS
AIR LEAK MINIMIZATION
AIR SEALING STRATEGIES
BATHROOM VENTILATION
FREEZE-PROOF A BUILDING
ATTIC CONDENSATION CAUSE & CURE
Air Bypass Leaks, Thermal Tracking
Blocked Soffit Intake Vents
CATHEDRAL CEILING INSULATION
Comparing Two Houses
Heat Tapes: Use on Roofs for Ice
HEAT LOSS: How to Calculate Heat Loss in a Building
HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS
HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET
ICE DAM PREVENTION
INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT
Inspect Attics for Moisture or Mold
Inspect Basements for Moisture or Mold
Inspect Building Exterior
Inspect the Ridge Vent System from the Attic
Inspect the Soffit Vent System from the Attic
ROOF VENTILATION SPECIFICATIONS
Roof Venting: Intake - Outlet Area Ratios
Roof Venting: Proper Locations
Roof Venting: Both Ridge & Eaves Venting Needed
Roof Venting: Eaves Intake if no Overhang
Roof Venting: Soffit Intake Vent-Continuous
Roof Venting: Un-Vented Roof Solutions
ROOF VENTING ENERGY SAVING DETAILS
HEAT LOSS: How to Calculate Heat Loss in a Building
HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS
HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET
ICE DAM PREVENTION
INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT
THERMAL TRACKING & HEAT LOSS

• Alan Carson Carson Dunlop Associates, Toronto, Ontario. Mr. Carson is a home inspection professional, educator, researcher, writer, and a principal of Carson Dunlop Associates, a Toronto home inspection and education firm. Mr. Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors Some great illustrations of the proper under-roof ventilation pathways are offered by Carson Dunlop.
• Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. (727) 595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com 11/06 and 12/08
• Daniel Friedman -edited and added to comments from John Annunziata, P.E. - NY Metro ASHI during informal chapter discussions about roof and attic ventilation options (1986-1996).

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

More Reading about Dealing with Attic Mold, Identifying, Removing, and Preventing Mold in Attics

Be sure to review HOW TO FIND MOLD: How to Inspect Homes and Other Buildings for Mold - the Basics of How to Find Problem Mold Indoors in our Mold Action Guide. Here are other articles that will be helpful in evaluating attic mold presence, causes, and cures:

• What Mold and Allergens Look Like: mold identification photos to help identify mold - choosing what to sample in buildings
• How to Clean Moldy Wood Framing & Sheathing How to clean/seal mold from/on exposed lumber or plywood subfloor or roof sheathing indoors - some suggestions based on our field and laboratory research
• Lighting, proper use of: proper aiming of a good flashlight can disclose hard to see but toxic light or white mold colonies on walls.
• Mold spores in the Home - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergens.
• How to Find and Test For Mold in Buildings A "how to" photo and text primer on finding and choosing the right spots to test for mold in buildings
• Stuff that is not mold but is often mistaken for it - things you may not want to test. Also, not all "black mold" is toxic - here are examples of harmless black mold.
• Simple Adhesive Tape Sampling of Moldy Surfaces - how to send a mold sample to our lab
• Mold Sampling Methods in the Indoor Environment - In-depth article: detailed critique of popular mold testing methods - Is your mold test kit worth the bother?
• Humidity: What indoor humidity should we maintain in order to avoid a mold problem?
• Mold-Resistant Building Practices, advice from an expert on how to prevent mold after a building flood and how to prevent mold growth in buildings by selection of building materials and by anti-mold construction details.

InspectAPedia® Home & Site Map - Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair, & Problem Prevention Advice: In-depth research & advice on diagnosing, testing, correcting, & preventing building defects & indoor environmental hazards. Unbiased information, no conflicts of interest.

The Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in Buildings, When and How to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems

Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to our lab

Environmental Inspection, Testing, & Diagnosis On-Site IAQ, Gas, Air Testing, Mold Investigation, Sick Building Diagnosis, Lab Services, & Remediation Plan Preparation - indoor air quality testing, problem source determination, supporting lab work, written remediation plan addressing removal of environmental and other hazards and prevention of their recurrence.

Building Inspection, Problem Diagnosis, Forensic Investigation & Testing, Repair Consulting

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