Look at the Building Science Corporation web site for discussion of vented attics in various climates.
If you decide you need to vent, add soffit vents & ensure enough space for air passage and insulation required for your area. If existing roof structure does not provide enough space, add some furring to the rafters.
TB
Hi:
I have an attic space that has a ridge vent but no soffit vents and I wanted to enclose the space and make it into a room. I am concerned about venting it properly. There are no soffit vents and only a ridge vent. Any ideas?
Thanks. Tracy
As would I.
-- Todd H.
In alt.home.repair on Sun, 31 Jul 2005 19:44:30 -0400 "Tracy" posted:
I haven't done this, but I've been reading on this list about radiant barriers (tin foil?). It seems they work well. It says they have to have air space on one side, but I think they must mean on the top side. You find out. Anyhow it seems that you should have a half inch of air space, a radiant barrier, and then insulation, and then the ceiling of your room, to make things the best (plus the soffit vents and air circulation) Now is time to do it instead of after the walls and ceiling are up.
Search for radiant barrier in this newgroup in the last two weeks, and search the web for it.
Meirman
-- If emailing, please let me know whether or not you are posting the same letter. Change domain to erols.com, if necessary.
I would be adding soffit vents and making sure they had an unblocked draft to the ridge vent.
Call your local city or county building inspection department and see what is required.
I see several challenges that could stop you from doing what you are considering. First and foremost is your structure built to handle the extra load?????
All replies listed here are right. After you have codes and structurals checked, and before you start your construction, staple close meshed chicken wire to the rafters 18" to 24" above the point of contact of the ceiling and walls of the finished area. Do you intend to have a slope as a bridging between ceilings and walls? Or are you squaring them to each other? If squaring, staple rolled insulation to the studding. Use poured insulation on the ceiling. Installing chicken wire will act as a dam preventing the insulation from falling off the ceiling into the rafter space. Doing the same trick on the first level ceiling joists will prevent the poured insulation from falling into the soffits too. That gives you air pockets for circulation above the attic ceiling and at the knee wall as well. Consider putting small automatic exhaust fans in the gables. Be sure to screen them from bugs. And don't forget dormers for cross ventilation.
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