How efficient are roof vents? Well there are many to choose from: turbine vents – generically known in Australia as whirlybirds, gable vents, louvre vents, dormer vents, powered roof fans, solar powered roof fans, static roof vents etc etc.
So how do you choose how efficient roof ventilation options are.
Whirlybirds – not at all effective see Case Studies & Reports on this site “Whirlybirds Don’t Work”. Gable vents – are more decorative than being of much use for efficient roof ventilation. Roof fans – are very expensive, energy costs to run have moving parts, you will need more than one to ventilate a roof and you will also need to have eaves vents to allow inlet air. Solar fans are the same as powered fans, without the use for energy however solar fans go down when the sun goes down, so totally useless in winter. Winter is where roof ventilation needs to be working at the utmost, to control the devastating effects of condensation problems – see BLOG on this site “Warning! Read Before You Design Your Next Housing Project”.
For efficient roof ventilation you need to allow the ambient temperature to circulate the roofspace 24/7 all year round. This will keep your home cooler in summer and the roofspace dry from condensation and/or humidity moisture all year round.
For this to happen you need inlets and outlets within the roof covering, inlets to allow the ambient air to enter the roofspace and outlets to allow the stale moist air to evacuate the roofspace. There would need to be a series of these inlets and outlets for each zone of the roofspace to allow the ambient air to circulate the roofspace and effectively ventilate the roofspace, to keep the home cool in summer and the roofspace dry 24/7 all year round.
Universal Tile Ventilators and Smoothline Ventilator systems for corrugated colourbond roofing have inlets and outlets within the roof covering to keep your home cool in summer and your roofspace dry 24/7 365 days a year, for a one off cost and will never need to be repaired or replaced. You can’t beat that.