Blocking Attic Vents In Winter

Don t avoid ventilating your attic for fear you re letting cold air into the house.

Blocking attic vents in winter.

It may be necessary to clear your roof vents after heavy winter precipitation. For years i ve been trying different schemes to block the cold drafts from my home s air conditioning vents. In this case even if soffit vents are installed there will not be adequate air inflow. Deliberate blocking at eaves.

In some older buildings in an attempt to warm up a cold attic someone may have installed wood blocking between the rafters at the building eaves. In the winter the vents will cause the attic to become cold but this should not damage your home or increase the energy use of your home so covering the roof vents is not necessary. Your actual living space is sealed. Squirrels rats raccoons and other pests all love to try getting into your home whenever there is a point of access.

They are essentially holes right into the unheated attic immediately above since this is a 1950s ranch style house. If there are asphalt shingles on your roof the attic must be ventilated to comply with the terms of the. Remove this blocking when designing good attic venting. They can help stop and prevent ice dams as well.

Set the grate aside. Block winter drafts from home air conditioning vents. Rodents can t get into your attic through roof ridge vents. Obviously more research is needed but here s what we do know.

Poor insulation is usually the culprit although if you enter the attic on sunny winter day your attic space can be warmed by the sun more than your furnace. Adding a ridge vent is a fine idea and don t worry about it competing with the gable vents. Blocking the vents can even harm your home by trapping moisture inside the attic. Your attic vents also do more for your roof than merely preventing it from becoming overheated in the winter.

Remove the grate from the attic fan. If the gable vents aren t letting in rain or snow leave them alone. Ice buildup also weighs on the roof structure which is dangerous when it becomes heavy. Unless your roofing system has insulation on the roofing deck and is designed without ventilation your furnace should not be heating your attic.

Seal air leaks in your attic floor so that roof venting doesn t suck conditioned air into the attic and cause moisture problems. A hard wire runs directly from the. Turn off the electricity to attic fan by unplugging or by disconnecting the hard wire from the junction box. How to close an attic vent during the winter.

Heavy winter storms lead to snow and ice accumulation which may affect your roof ventilation s ability to allow free flowing air to move through the attic.