This year the winter winds have been quite strong, blow and drifting the snow everywhere.

We are now getting random calls from people who think their house roof is leaking. Many of these people are experiencing Mixed Roof Venting and Cross Venting.

There are many ways to vent your home roof. Proper venting is a very valuable; it prevents build up from heat and moisture in your home and attic space.

Although many people understand the value of good venting, most are unfamiliar with the problems of Mixing Roof Vents. They think that roof vents are good so adding more roof vents is even better!

Example: Mr. Homeowner has 4 turbine vents on the back side roof of his gable house. The vents are working properly and they are all pulling hot, moist air out of the house together. The 4 turbine vent are a great team they work with each other and all pull cool air from the nicely installed soffit vents on the soffit of the home. Joe Roofing Company is going door to door in the neighborhood and he convinces Mr. Homeowner to add 3 pan vents to the front side of the home because if some venting is good, adding more vents can only be better. . . right? It will only cost him $250 to add these 3 new vents, so Mr. Homeowner thinks this is a good investment.

His roof now has Short Circuited Venting. . . you should never Mix Roof Vents. The 4 turbine vent team no longer cools the entire roof by pulling together from the soffit vents. They have a closer opening on the roof now, pan vents right at the front top of the roof. The turbine vents no longer work hard to pull in cool air from the soffit vents because the pan vents are closer. Now the turbines vents and pan vents only pull hot air from each other and will only vent the top section of the roof, short circuiting the venting. Now the 2 types of vents only pull from each other and now only vent ¼ of the home roof . . . only venting top section of the roof. Mr. Homeowner now has heat building in the home, attic and roof. The warm attic space is melting the snow on the roof, he now has ice dams. The melting ice causes major damage to the kitchen ceiling.

Next thing you know the winds and snow comes. Nice fluffy snow blows in at 60 mile an hour winds. Then Mr. Homeowner with the new vents has ice dams from the heat building up in the attic and stains on his living room ceiling. Mr. Homeowner is sure his roof is leaking and he is now trying to find a roofer who will look at his home in the cold snowy weather.

The roof is not leaking. Remember those good old turbine vents that now pull from the new pan vents. Those new pan vents are on the north side of the home and so is the wind, the vents are now Cross Venting and Mr. Homeowner has about a 1 inch of new snow in his attic. Roof vents should never pull air from other roof vents. Snow, rain and anything else floating around will be pulled into your attic.

This Short Circuiting and Cross Venting happen whenever you Mix Roofing Vents, never install two different types of vents on one roof area. Try not to let someone do this to your home, the cleanup and repairs is stressful and expensive. Contact A Better Way Construction & Roofing for all your venting needs, we have the education to install proper venting and help with all your roofing needs.