Let’s start by saying that there is no “best” roof ventilation method. The best roof ventilation method is the one that works best for your home. There are many factors involved with this decision, which include:

- Your climate

- Your home’s design features

- Your budget

 

 

Types of Ventilation.

Gable vent – This is probably what you think of when you hear “roof vent.” These vents are usually made of metal and have louvers that open up when air needs to be let in or out. They usually have screens over them to keep bugs out and prevent rain from entering your attic.

Soffit vent – Soffit vents are mounted along the edge of your roof line and directed toward the ground. Air flows through these vents into an attic space above a garage or other structure where it gets pushed out through another vent at the opposite end of the structure or through a ridge vent on top of your roof line.

Ridge vent – Ridge vents are installed at the peak or highest point on your roof line (not necessarily at the middle). They allow air to flow from one side of your house to another without letting it escape through windows or doors first.

 

 

Passive Vs. Active

Passive ventilation is the simplest type of roof ventilation system. It works by letting the air in the attic be moved around by natural sources. This type of roof ventilation system doesn’t rely on the vents to ensure the trapped air can escape, hence the name passive. The main problem with passive vents is that they don’t work well in areas where there isn’t a lot of wind or natural convection (such as in desert climates). In these situations, you will need to add some active vents to help keep your attic cool during hot summer days.

Active ventilation is a type of roof ventilation that actively works to ensure the air in your attic is moving, hence the name active. This system pulls fresh air into your attic through intake vents and then pushes the air out of exhaust vents. Active ventilation uses a fan to pull fresh air from outside into your attic through intake vents (ventilation holes) and then forces it out through exhaust vents (you’ll need one more than you have intake). This is done continuously so that fresh air is constantly being pulled into your attic and stale air is being pushed out. With this type of ventilation system, you don’t have to worry about opening or closing any doors or windows for it to work properly.

 

 

Which Method is Best?

Now that we've gone over the different methods of ventilation, Which is the best to use? The truth when it comes to this question is that both methods work and neither is better than the other. The most important thing is that your attic and roof are ventilated properly. The main difference to consider is that passive ventilation will require more vents, whereas active will require fewer vents on the same size roof and attic.