To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Roof vents or no roof vents?

S

supernova

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 13, 2012
Messages
76
Hey all, I'm shingling my garage Monday, and I'm finishing up my prep tomorrow. I have tons more pictures for my build thread, just too damn busy to get it updated, but I will soon! I live in central Iowa, I'm not insulating it, not sure if I ever will at this point. So, do I put in any roof vents? I know they'll help let the heat out in the summer, but will they make it too cold in the winter? Would they offset any heating id do in the winter while I may tinker around? How many should I put in (its 12'F x 38' D)? One half is just for my wife's car,but the back half will be where I work on my motorcycle and tinker around.

--Sent from my Inspire 4G using Tapatalk
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
P

pattenp

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 4, 2008
Messages
10,175
Location
Virginia - USA
Typically all roofs should be vented. There should be soffit venting and ridge or gable venting. You could be voiding the shingle manufactures warranty if any by not having proper roof venting.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
S

signcrafter

Well-known member
Joined
May 9, 2012
Messages
12,359
It will let some heat out in the winter since heat rises and if you don't have the garage insulated there is nothing stopping the heat from going up and out the vents. With that being said I would still vent. The peak of your roof will be very hot in the hot summer sun. Letting this heat out will extend the life of your shingles. Then if you ever do insulate and finish the ceiling the vents are already there. If you're worried about the heat getting out in the winter then I would just finish the ceiling and put in some cheaper R19 insulation. This won't cost that much, 15 sheets of drywall at roughly 5 bucks a sheet is 75 bucks. R19 kraft faced itch isn't to expensive either, especially when they go on sale. You would need four bags of this stuff from home depot at 50 bucks a bag so 200 for itch, http://www.homedepot.com/Building-M...splay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051. So for 300 bucks you can insulate and drywall your ceiling if you wanted to and that would keep most of the heat in. In theory you would want more than R19 in the ceiling but R19 is cheap and will keep most of the heat in and if you decide in the future to add more you can just put it on top or blow in itch to whatever depth you want.
 
OP
S

supernova

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 13, 2012
Messages
76
signcrafter said:
It will let some heat out in the winter since heat rises and if you don't have the garage insulated there is nothing stopping the heat from going up and out the vents. With that being said I would still vent. The peak of your roof will be very hot in the hot summer sun. Letting this heat out will extend the life of your shingles. Then if you ever do insulate and finish the ceiling the vents are already there. If you're worried about the heat getting out in the winter then I would just finish the ceiling and put in some cheaper R19 insulation. This won't cost that much, 15 sheets of drywall at roughly 5 bucks a sheet is 75 bucks. R19 kraft faced itch isn't to expensive either, especially when they go on sale. You would need four bags of this stuff from home depot at 50 bucks a bag so 200 for itch, http://www.homedepot.com/Building-M...splay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051. So for 300 bucks you can insulate and drywall your ceiling if you wanted to and that would keep most of the heat in. In theory you would want more than R19 in the ceiling but R19 is cheap and will keep most of the heat in and if you decide in the future to add more you can just put it on top or blow in itch to whatever depth you want.
Click to expand...

Thanks everyone & thank you signcrafter for all the thought! I'm gonna go ahead & put some in today, a lot easier now than after the fact. :beer:

--Sent from my Inspire 4G using Tapatalk
 
S

Stuart in MN

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 8, 2005
Messages
23,119
Location
Minneapolis
If it's not insulated and the attic space is open to the main floor, typically vents aren't required in a garage, there's enough fresh air circulating through the space. However, they won't hurt anything and if you have plans to insulate it's a good idea to do them now.
 
D

ddawg16

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
21,005
Location
S. California
A little advice from someone who has had both bare garages and finished garages......even if you don't insulate...put up drywall.....you would be amazed at how much warmer and cooler it will be....and the dirt and dust will be a lot less.....as well as better lighting....

Regardless, you want vents....without them, the moisture gets trapped at the top and it will start to rain in your garage under the right conditions...not to mention the potential for mold.
 
S

signcrafter

Well-known member
Joined
May 9, 2012
Messages
12,359
supernova said:
Thanks everyone & thank you signcrafter for all the thought! I'm gonna go ahead & put some in today, a lot easier now than after the fact. :beer:

--Sent from my Inspire 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I prefere the ridge vent over the individual vents. They are super easy to put in and blend in nicely with the ridge line. Around here that is almost all anyone uses. You just cut a little gap out of the sheathing at the very top, think it's 1 1/2" on each side all but the last two feet or so. Then shingle all the way up to this gap. Then install the ridge vents over the shingles and then install the cap shingles onto the ridge vent. They are also supposed to let more air circulate and they get the warmest air out which is at the very peak in the summer. Most individual vents are installed a few feet down from the ridge and the warmest air still sits above those in the very peak.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom