Role of Soffit Vents in Energy Efficiency

The Role of Soffit Vents in energy efficiency in homes with Vented Attic Assemblies.

Recently, The Home Energy Magazine posted an article entitled Soffit & Energy Efficiency:  Everything you need to know. (http://www.homeenergy.org/show/blog/id/1183/nav/blog)  The article details the role that soffit play in making a home perform in a healthy and energy efficient way.

Their first assertion is that experts estimate that nearly 70 percent of homes in the USA DO NOT meet basic ventilation requirements.  Soffit vents, Baffles and Ridge or Gable Vents must be installed properly in order to provide proper ventilation.  This says that a majority of homes in America are done improperly. Wow, that is a big deal.

Soffit, vents, baffles and ridge or gable vents vital function in Home performance is to keep the roof deck cool, and to allow for the release of moisture that migrates into the attic due to poor, or inadequate air sealing.  Professional organizations including the National Roofing Contractors Association recommend the 1/150 rule for ventilation.  This means for every 150 square feet of roof deck, you should have 1 square foot of air intake at the soffit in order to achieve effective ventilation.

These building components utilize the stack effect to exhaust hot air at the top of the roof assembly out, while replacing it with cooler, dryer air at the bottom (soffit area).  The cooler air can 1) Prevent Ice Damning, 2) Reduce the temperature difference from the attic space to the conditioned rooms below, 3) Remove excess moisture build up (particularly in winter time) by replacing exhaust air with cooler, dryer air from below the roof line.

Maintaining effective ventilation can, according to the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, reduce home owner expense to 1) Remediate mold in the attic, 2) replace roof decking, 3) replace shingles and 4) replace insulation and clean attics.

Comfenergy verifies that these systems are working properly, and we install top quality “AccuVent High Efficiency Baffles” to assure the best thermal performance in the industry as part of our Attic Overhaul Services.  Give us a call to have your home checked out.