Temp Roof Vent Plugs?

[D45]

I have 6 roof vents and I would like to somehow temporarily add a poly square or insulation over them .......to attempt to loose less heat in the shop this winter

Any ideas?

 

[nadogail]

I have seen this done with foam plugs (with appropriate handles attached) stuffed into the vents from the bottom.

Also plastic bags could be put over the external parts.

 

[The Cobbler]

what size holes? I'm thinking plastic drywall inspection covers https://www.amazon.com/s?k=drywall+...refix=drywall+ins,aps,179&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_11

 

[D45]

The garage is about 60-62 feet long, and has 6 of these style vents in the roof

I would have to check and measure the openings......they are covered with metal mesh for insects and critters

 

[D45]

what size holes? I'm thinking plastic drywall inspection covers https://www.amazon.com/s?k=drywall+...refix=drywall+ins,aps,179&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_11

How would I mount these, to not penetrate the plywood into the shingles

 

[D45]

I was thinking about getting poly foam squares and using 1" flat webbing and stapling the webbing tight up to the roof sheathing

The poly foam squares would be very light so I could use a very short staple

 

[nadogail]

It appears that I didn't completely understand the details of the problem faced by the OP.

 

[D45]

I guess it's more of an experiment also

Trying to see what I can do to prevent too much heat loss through the roof vents

 

[Showkey]

There’s no ceiling in the garage. The 6 vents are open to the heated floor space of the garage ?

 

[D45]

Correct

 

[Zmann]

if it just an experiment?
I might try pipe insulation installed from the roof top
tucked into the opening of the vent ,, unless the bug screen prevent this

my neighbor did a foam spray on his roof deck and this negated the need for these vents all together ,, I would love to get rid of mine ,, i have probably 20
they let dust , and noise in unimpeded

 

[D45]

I want a temporary mounting solution , since I want to remove them come spring time because the shop area does get pretty warm in the summer

 

[foureyed331]

Put bags around the vents

 

[readhead]

Put a wad of fiberglass or rockwool insulation in the hole. Take it out in the spring.

 

[D45]

my neighbor did a foam spray on his roof deck and this negated the need for these vents all together ,, I would love to get rid of mine ,, i have probably 20
they let dust , and noise in unimpeded

I would love to spray the roof deck also.............not in my budget though

 

[yeldogt]

Why did you put them there to begin with ?

 

[D45]

I didn't ...... previous owners did

 

[yeldogt]

I didn't ...... previous owners did

And ....... why do you think he put them in ...

I'm not sure why people attempt to build tight buildings ... then punch holes in them

 

[D45]

Likely for air circulation I bet.........heat rises, so maybe he was thinking heat will escape faster with 6 vents

In the summer the shop does get pretty warm......I have since installed a shop fan to help push the warm air out

 

[bczygan]

Oversize pieces of rigid foam insulation board with double sided tape around the perimeter.

Bill

 

[Zmann]

my roof has to have the vents according to "engineers" because it has a drywall ceiling and the insulation sits on top of that

but if you have no ceiling then i don't see the need for the vents unless it was going to have a ceiling in the future or like mentioned to let heat out in summer but pay the price in winter lol

 

[59 wagon man]

maybe just a louver on the inside so they can easily be opened or closed depending on your needs

 

[D45]

Oversize pieces of rigid foam insulation board with double sided tape around the perimeter.

Bill

This is something that might work

Is the double sided Gorilla tape the best? It will be holding the rigid foam to the roof plywood sheathing

Will it hold up to the cold a$$ winter temps?


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019HT1U9E/?tag=atomicindus08-20


Gorilla Heavy Duty Double Sided Mounting Tape, 1" x 60", Black

Toughest industrial strength mounting tape available

Best for projects where typical fasteners won’t work, it sticks to rough and smooth surfaces alike; Holds up to 30 pounds
Weatherproof for indoor and outdoor use

Double side tape; Coated with adhesive on both sides for easy hanging

Bonds plastic, metal, wood, glass, brick, ceramic, stone & more

---------------------------------

I was thinking about a thin bead of liquid nails also......but this sounds like a more permanent route

 

[D45]

Also, how thick of rigid foam should I be looking for?

Or does it really matter for how I am using it?

Menards has a variety of thickness and R values

1/2" (R3)
3/4" (R4)
1" (R5)
1-1/2" (R7.5)
2" (R10)

 

[bczygan]

Also, how thick of rigid foam should I be looking for?

Or does it really matter for how I am using it?

Menards has a variety of thickness and R values

1/2" (R3)
3/4" (R4)
1" (R5)
1-1/2" (R7.5)
2" (R10)

Anything will be better than nothing.

Bill

 

[D45]

Thinner = Lightweight

But also less R value

I guess the rigid foam will just be acting like a temp gasket, to cap the underneath side of the vents

 

[yeldogt]

I would use something thick enough -- ridged enough to stand on its own. Long screw with fender washer to the underside of the deck.

Buy some cheap roll of self stick foam and run around the permitter ...

 

[acer66]

maybe just a louver on the inside so they can easily be opened or closed depending on your needs

Maybe like the crawlspace vents that close automatically when it gets cold.

 

[D45]

I would use something thick enough -- ridged enough to stand on its own. Long screw with fender washer to the underside of the deck.

Buy some cheap roll of self stick foam and run around the permitter ...

My concern with the screws and a fender washer is penetrating the other side of the sheathing and causing a ton of issues

 

[yeldogt]

My concern with the screws and a fender washer is penetrating the other side of the sheathing and causing a ton of issues

What is the sheathing thickness?

Factor it into the screw length ... you are over thinking this.


If you want it easy to reverse ... make a square of 2x material and use 1.5" sheet foam. The 2x material is attached to the deck with glue and screws -- the foam sits inside the square. A simple 1x attached over the foam will hold it in place ..

I'm still not sure what is on the roof deck for insulation?

 

[D45]

I ended up buying a half sheet of 3/4" rigid foil faced poly foam.

Cut all the pieces in to a 14" x 14" squares

Used gorilla duct tape and wrapped all 4 edges of the squares and then used double layers of the tape, along with a thick bead of silicon, and mounted the squares over the vent openings

I stapled the tape to the roof deck to make sure the adhesive held

This morning the outside temp was 37 and it was still 50 degrees inside the shop

Hopefully this works to hold the heat inside the garave better when the heater is on this winter

 

[yeldogt]

now you can reinstall the smaller heater ;0

 

[strutaeng]

Oversize pieces of rigid foam insulation board with double sided tape around the perimeter.

Bill

I permanently sealed 4 gable vent this way in my garage, except I also added some sealant and screws. I added a piece of plywood with cleats to my roof turbine also under the roof deck. I removed and sealed the soffit vents on one side of the cable with plywood and painted to match the soffit. At some point I need to do the other gable...

I'm running a 45k propane heater intermittently.

 

[joe121]

how about velcro strips to rigid foam board or magnetic strips. also if you hinge one side it would be easy to operate open or closed

 

[D45]

31 this morning and a decent amount of frost on portions of the roof

Shop was 50 degrees with no heat on

So far so good!!

 

[strutaeng]

I was going suggest you double them up for 1 1/2". Screw them to a wood cleat spaced the width between the rafters, then screw the cleat into the rafter. Just remove the screws when they need to come off.

But it seems like it's working!

 

[D45]

I will see how the single layer does

I have enough leftover material to add a double layer if needed

 

[D45]

27 degrees at 7:30 AM and a good amount of frost on the grass and roof

Shop was still 48 degrees

I would say the roof vent plugs are working good!!

 

[D45]

Coldest night so far

Outside temps were 13 degrees this morning and the garage was at 40 degrees this morning at 7am

Working great so far with blocking warm air from escaping

 

[allinon72]

Unless I am missing something...if a building doesn't have an attic to vent, these are pointless. So why not cover them inside with plywood and get rid of them permanently in the spring because they aren't doing anything but letting heat out.