Whether you’re moving into a new home or starting renovations, roof ventilation should be an essential consideration for both protecting your living space and enhancing comfort levels.
Quality roof ventilation prevents moisture build-up to reduce the risk of mould and rot taking over your home. Not only is this unpleasant to look at, but mould can also cause serious respiratory problems and weaken the structural integrity of the property. If left untreated, you may end up needing to replace the entire roof, which is both inconvenient and expensive.
Plus, when hot air rises to the roof cavity or attic space, it can settle and create further mould issues. Roof ventilation improves air quality by removing any water vapour or stale air that may otherwise struggle to escape, leaving your home feeling fresh and at a constant temperature all year round.
But with so many different varieties, from ceiling vents to wind turbines, how do you know which type is best for your home? To help you make the right choice, we’ve created a guide to the top roof ventilation systems available on the Australian market today.
6 Best Roof Ventilation Types
We’ve considered running and maintenance costs, ease of installation, power levels, and how eco-friendly each type of roof ventilation option is to recommend the top options for your home.
Let’s take a closer look at how you can make your air conditioning systems more efficient during those hot summer months with adequate ventilation.
1. Solar-Powered Roof Attic Ventilation
Solar-powered vents come in the form of roof fans located in the attic or roof cavity, which are an incredibly energy-efficient option compared to older hard-wired vents.
Most homes only require one of these vents, as they’re powerful enough to move thousands of cubic metres of air every hour. They also act like an air conditioner in your roof space, lowering temperatures by as much as 30 degrees during our hot summer months. Another huge benefit of solar vents is that they operate almost silently and are extremely cost-effective to run.
However, because they rely on sunlight to generate power, solar-powered vents may not work as well if your roof doesn’t always fall directly under the sun.
2. Whirlybirds
Whirlybirds, or roof turbines, are wind-driven ventilators that pull hot air through the attic and out of your home. Like solar-powered vents, this makes them an incredibly eco-friendly roof vent option that requires little upkeep.
Made from aluminium blades and coverings, whirlybirds need wind speeds of at least 5 miles per hour to spin, meaning that they may not be as effective on perfectly still days. They also have high installation costs of around $200 to $500 per whirlybird.
3. Box Vents
Also known as flat or turtle vents, box vents are typically made from a hard plastic or metal material. One of the biggest aesthetic benefits of this roof ventilation option is that they come in a variety of colours to match your roof and look a lot more discreet.
Located near the roof ridge, box vents draw hot air outside mechanically using natural convection. Having no moving parts makes this a more cost-effective roof ventilation system, since you won’t need to pay running or maintenance expenses.
While they are a popular option, installing just one or two box vents won’t provide adequate roof ventilation for the whole space – their small size means you’ll need to invest in several to cover your entire roof.
4. Power Vents
Although they work in a similar way to solar vents, power vents operate on the mains electricity within your home to motorise air movement throughout the air space.
These vents are also a much more reliable power source as they’re able to operate on days with little sunlight and at night. However, this means that they do have higher running costs than other types of roof ventilation. Power vents also have moving parts, so require a lot more general maintenance to maintain proper ventilation compared to box vents.
5. Soffit Vents
Soffits are installed underneath your roof line in the overhang area directly onto the eaves, and work best when used in combination with ridge vents/
Outside air enters your home’s roof space and into the attic through small holes. The soffits then push any hot air out through to the ridge vent, which warms the air to provide extra insulation for your home.
6. Ridge Vents
As the name suggests, ridge vents sit on the ridge of your roof and pull cool air through your roof space. They create an open ridge at the highest point that allows you to ventilate your entire roof, making them one of the most common and popular options for Australian homes.
Ridge vents such as RapidRidge combine the benefits of a dry fixed roof with the added bonus of ventilation, providing a lower maintenance, flexible, weather-resistant, and cost-effective roofing solution.
This roll-out dry ridge vent system features flashing with advanced double labyrinth technology that allows fresh air to be released, while keeping your roof protected from extreme heat and harsh weather conditions.
The included eave vents also facilitate natural cooling across your roof to ensure continual air circulation and improve energy efficiency. They do this by lowering heat transfer through the ceiling into your living space, therefore minimising the need for expensive air conditioning systems.
RapidRidge therefore helps to maintain stable temperatures throughout your home, while encouraging energy costs to fall by up to 43% each year! Discover more on how RapidRidge stops the mould growth that often comes with the build-up of moist air and prolongs the lifespan of your roof by visiting our website today.