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To have a well-ventilated house, you must know about certain things that can make it ventilated.  For instance, roof ridge vents are an important part of your house that allows your house to remain cool even during the warmest months and reduce the onset of moisture accumulation.  So, what exactly is a ridge vent, and what are its benefits and limitations?

If you own an older home, then there is a good chance that there isn’t any roof ventilation.  The reason this does not create an issue is that these houses aren’t as air-tight as the modern structures are, which means they have adequate air movement despite the lack of any vents.  When you move to upgrade the energy efficiency of these older homes with better window insulation, weather-stripping, and similar features, then you create a ventilation problem for the home. You must have adequate roof ventilation available through a vent when you live in a high-efficiency home.

Without this feature on the roof, you will have condensation begin forming on your windows, especially during the winter months. Moisture can get into your roof too, which freezes into an ice dam as the weather changes.

What Is Ridge Vent?

You might already know what a ridge vent is, as it is quite noticeable.  If not, then you might have seen a vent present or installed at the top of the roofs (mainly sloped roofs) of buildings or houses.  A ridge vent’s primary work is to eliminate the hot and humid air from your house’s indoors.  Thus, helping you keep your house cool and moisture-free too.  Hence, a ridge vent is a ventilation system that offers efficient ventilation at a low cost.

How Does a Ridge Vent Work?

Now, how exactly does a ridge vent allow the hot and humid air to escape the attic of your house? What is the working of it?  With the help of some basic principles, a ridge vent carries out a natural exchange of air by letting the hot and humid air escape from the vent-like structure.  First of all, you might already know that hot air rises on its own. So, when you have a roof ridge vent installed, it facilitates the release of this hot air from the vent-like openings found in these ridge vents.  Then, once the hot air has escaped, the fresh and cool air is pulled in with the help of soffits, another type of part present in your roof.  This way, a roof ridge vent facilitates removing hot and humid air from your attic and allows the fresh and cool air to enter. 

Do Roof Ridge Vents Work?

Knowing whether roof ridge vents work as mentioned above can help you make an informed choice.  So, the answer is yes and no.  Firstly, roof ridge vents work in maintaining proper air circulation in your house. However, one major limitation here is that roof ridge vents mostly only work for houses having a modern and energy-efficient architecture or layout.  On the other hand, roof ridge vents may not work that efficiently for old houses.  Hence, to make them work with houses having an old or basic layout, you need to go for a soffit vent system, along with a roof ridge vent system. 

Pros of Roof Ridge Vents

If you are planning to get roof ridge vents installed in your house, then you’re in good luck as these have quite a lot of benefits such as: 

Help in Maintaining the Temperature of House

One of the best and the most apparent benefits of a roof ridge vent is how it can help maintain your house’s temperature.  The attic or upper stories of your house are a storehouse of all the hot air that can increase your house’s overall temperature. While it is not an issue during the cold months, it certainly can make your house extremely warm during the summer months. 

Hence, a roof ridge vent can prevent that from happening. With its efficient mechanism, a ridge vent can facilitate the exchange of gases naturally. This helps the hot air in the attic to escape.  Moreover, that’s not all. A ridge vent also allows the fresh and cool air to get inside your attic and maintain your house’s temperature.  But, what about the cold winter months? Will roof ridge vents make the house cooler during winters? The answer is no. During winters, the cold exterior air’s pressure prevents the escape of hot and warm air. This is made possible due to the smart design of ridge vents. 

Have a Great Design That Can Suit Your House

If you are into aesthetics, especially when it comes to your house’s design, then there’s nothing you have to worry about.  Roof ridge vents have a very sleek and great design. Moreover, they are also not noticeable from the ground level. Hence, in no way can they affect the look of your house or roof.  Another great thing is that if you have enough intake on the roof, it is also possible to install these ridge vents across the roof’s ridges. So, consider installing roof ridge vents without stressing about the aesthetics of your house. 

No Entry to Rodents

Squirrels, rats, raccoons, and other pests all love to try getting into your home whenever there is a point of access. If you use the older-style of roof vent to provide air circulation, then you must install traps or blockage points that prevent them from nesting in your attic’s insulation. This protection feature reduces the amount of air that moves, which defeats the purpose of the older designs in the first place.  The shape, size, and location of roof ridge vents make it impossible for rodents to access your house. You receive the ventilation necessary for the home without creating a higher risk of damage.

Allows Natural Exchange of Air

A great thing about roof ridge vents is that you don’t have to put in extra effort, as the whole air exchange process is quite natural.  As the hot air rises, it escapes in the outside environment due to the pressure difference. Once the hot air escapes, it also facilitates the movement of fresh air inside the attic.  So, in the whole process, you don’t have to look or worry about anything at all. 

They Are Cost-Effective in the Long Run

Keep in mind that even though roof ridge vents’ initial costs can get high, they are incredibly cost-effective in the long run.  It is because roof ridge vents can lower down your electricity bills and keep your roof in up-to-date condition.  In the summer months, if your house is too warm or hot, you’ll have to keep the air conditioners on for a lot of time. This can increase your electricity bills no matter how hard you try to cut them down.  However, if you have roof ridge vents, they can keep your house cool during the summers and cut down on electricity costs.  Similarly, even during the winter months, roof ridge vents can keep the cold air out and prevent your house from getting too cold. Thus, help in reducing the usage of heaters. 

Helps in Reducing Indoor Air Pollution

If you thought that only outdoor air pollution is the cause of severe health risks, then know that indoor air pollution poses more risks.  It is true because today, many of us spend most of our time indoors. Sometimes, the air circulation can get so bad that we might be breathing the same toxic air throughout the day. This can lead to various problems like allergies, excessive coughing, and sinus problems too.  So, if you have a roof ridge vent installed, you’re letting the fresh air from outside come inside and allowing the toxic, hot air to escape. Thus, you get to breathe clean air most of the time. 

No Other Systems Required

They don’t need to be used with other systems.  Roof ridge vents do work well when there are soffit vents or box vents that help to draw air into the attic.  You will also discover that this product can work by itself to release moisture from the house, which is especially useful during the winter months.  That means you have a lower risk of mold or mildew development.

Keeps Out Mold and Mildew Troubles and Works All Year Long

The accumulation of both mold and mildew due to moisture accumulation can cause many problems and lead to overall unhygienic living conditions.  So, during the humid months, the humid air can get trapped in your attic and cause a moisture problem. This moisture then leads to the growth of mold and mildew, which can cause allergies and diseases.  However, roof ridge vents can assist with this problem too.  As these vents allow the hot as well as humid air to escape your attic, there’s no accumulation of moisture.  Now, as there is no moisture, no mold and mildew are growing in your house either!  So, along with getting fresh air, you also get a mold or mildew-free living environment. 

Conclusion

To summarize, roof ridge vents are quite beneficial for houses with at least some air circulation or energy-efficient design.  They can reduce the house from getting too hot or even too cold.  Moreover, it can drastically reduce the accumulation of moisture too.