subject: How to ventilate the attic in a home [print this page] Attic ventilation is done to cool the insulated ceiling space in a home. The vents allow air to enter into the space between the ceiling and the roof. This space sometimes has damp air or due to hot weather it gets quite stuffy. The insulation applied in the ceiling space in the attic sometimes produces vapor. The cool air in the from the vents assists in removing this mist air. The vents are done on two opposite walls in the roof space for cross ventilation to take place.
Attic ventilation is done on the gable walls opposite each other. This are the triangular walls in the home after the ring beam. The size of the vent space is about two feet by two and a half feet wide. They are usually timber louvers fixed in a frame work. They should allow air passage into the roof space without letting in rain water. The louvers should also be provided with a shutter to close. This is in particular weather with very low temperatures like winter or severe storms.
The attic ventilation commences by marking the position on the wall. This is done for old houses while for a new wall the space is marked an left open. The wall is cut at two courses from the gable top. The wall is then plastered to the required finish after roofing. The frame work is done of two feet wide by two and a half high. This frame w work is done with treated and dry timber. This is because of the position at which it is fixed. It should take harsh weather conditions without getting damaged.
The frame work is then positioned at two inches into the wall. The timber members are four by two inches thick. Fixing is by screwing into the wall. The upright members have slots angled at forty five degrees. The louvers are timber pieces of two by a three quarter inch thick. They are then inserted and glued into the angled slots. Painting is done with oil paint. A gauze wire is then nailed on the inside of the wall to prevent birds and pests from coming into the attic room.
