First thing, we need to look at is the different kinds of roof ventilators that are available on the market today, there are many to choose from – to mention a few – the most common known ventilator is the turbine ventilator generically known as the whirlybird. Then there are many other ventilators - gable vents, dormer vents, louver vents, ridge vents, mushroom vents and a selection of other static ventilators however all of these are stand-alone vents needing eaves vents for inlet air and its very skeptical that any of these work to effectively ventilate the roofspace in any way at all.
Why is the whirlybird so common? Because it’s the cheapest ventilator with hardware brands being as cheap as $40 on sale. Do they work? No they don’t. Check out Case Studies & Reports on this site “Whirly Birds Don’t Work”.
Then there are powered roof fans and solar powered roof fans. The powered fans need grid power also maintenance and will wear out. The solar fans may work during sun up but when the sun goes down so do solar fans – this is the time when you really need your roof ventilators to work – when the built up heat in the roofspace radiates through the ceilings to the habital areas not allowing you to sleep. However both powered and solar fans also need eaves vents for inlet air.
So there are many ventilators for you to choose from so how do you choose when – you can have too much roof ventilation or too less, the wrong kind or even two kinds that do not work well together.
- First things first you need is to have a system of inlets and outlets, so that the ambient air (the air that surrounds) can flow through the roofspace and evacuate the roofspace. Removing all the stale hot moist air and heat buildup from the roofspace – continually replacing the roofspace with fresh air.
- Then it’s best to have these inlets and outlets as part of a system that work in cohesion with one and another, as there is no point in having two parts of a system not working together effectively.
- Then it’s a big advantage for the ventilator system to be able to use all the principles of fluid dynamics – wind driven airflows – the venturi effect and convection.
- With any protusion through the roof it pays big time for the product to be designed aerodynamically so it is able to take anything Mother Nature has to throw at it also being cleverly designed with bushfire protection in mind. Conforming to Bushfire Standard AS3959-2009 up to Ember Attack – FZ and beyond roof ventilators are not allowed.
- Energy efficiency is a valid quality for any roof ventilation system.
- A system that has no moving parts and never wears out.
- Last but not least you don’t want your home to look like a factory, so to have something that is unobtrusive and aesthetically pleasing and highly functional on your roof will beat ugly every time.
In conclusion
- You need to have an effective system with inlets and outlets.
- You need the system to work in cohesion within the inlets and outlets that are the same kind and work well together.
- A system that uses all the principles of fluid dynamics.
- Being aerodynamically designed with the effects of Mother Nature and bush fires in mind.
- Incorporating energy efficiency.
- With no moving parts to ear out.
- To be unobtrusive, aesthetically pleasing and highly functional.
Universal Tile Ventilators for tiled roofs and Smoothline Ventilators for corrugated colorbond roofs tick all the aforementioned points.