Kelowna • Okanagan • Roof Ventilation ROOF
VENTILATION.

Proper ventilation is what stops an attic cooking your shingles from underneath in summer and growing frost on the roof deck in winter. Most of the roofs we look at don’t have enough.

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1:300

One part vent to 300 parts insulated ceiling

1:150

Twice that on low slopes and joist-framed roofs

25%

At least a quarter of it high, and a quarter low

All three from the BC Building Code, Article 9.19.1.2

The Problem

Most Roofs We Look At Are Suffocating.

In summer, an under-vented attic runs far hotter than the air outside. That heat bakes your shingles from below, accelerating granule loss and cutting years off your roof’s life. Your air conditioning works overtime trying to cool a space that’s being heated from above.

In winter, warm, moist air from your living space rises into the attic and condenses on cold surfaces. Without proper ventilation to carry that moisture out, it soaks into your roof deck, grows mould on your trusses, and compresses your insulation — reducing its effectiveness exactly when you need it most.

Our Solutions

Complete Ventilation Systems

Intake, Verified

Exhaust cannot pull what intake does not supply. Soffit venting at the eaves is where that air comes from, so we measure what your attic actually has against what the code asks for and tell you plainly if it is short — before any exhaust goes on that has nothing to draw from.

Ridge Ventilation

Continuous ridge vents let hot, moist air out along the whole length of the roof’s highest point.

Powered Ventilation

Solar-powered or hardwired attic fans for problem areas where passive ventilation isn’t sufficient. Thermostat-controlled for automatic operation during peak heat.

Blocked Intake

The most common fault we find: insulation packed hard into the eave, sealing off the very intake it was meant to sit clear of. The vents are there; the air is not. We find it, photograph it, and tell you what has to change before any exhaust will work.

Ventilation Calculation

We work out the vent area your attic needs from its ceiling area, the roof shape and the BC Building Code (9.19.1.2), then measure what is actually there. No guessing.

Year-Round Performance

Built for both ends of an Okanagan year: attic heat in summer, frost on the roof deck in winter.

Why Balance Matters

The Balanced Airflow Principle

Outside air comes in low at the eaves and leaves high at the ridge. The two need to be about equal, or the air stalls.

Intake (eaves, low) 50%

Balanced ✓

Exhaust (ridge, high) 50%

Balanced ✓

With the eaves blocked the ridge has nothing to draw from, so the heat and moisture stay in the attic.

Common Questions

Got Questions?

What happens at a ventilation check?

It depends on the roof, but we always check three things: that there is enough vent area for the attic, that the intake at the eaves and the exhaust up top are balanced and suited to your roof, and that air can actually get from one to the other. The usual blockage is insulation packed into the eaves, which cuts off the intake and lets moisture build up, sometimes enough for mould on the underside of the roof deck. On a roof with no attic to get into, that may only show once the roof is opened up. The fix is usually baffles (rafter vents) to hold an air path open, plus whatever else that roof needs.

How do I know if my roof has enough ventilation?

Signs of poor ventilation include: excessive heat in your attic during summer, ice dams in winter, visible moisture or mould on attic surfaces, curling or premature aging of shingles, and high energy bills. Our free inspection includes a ventilation assessment with NFA calculations.

Can you add ventilation without replacing the roof?

Yes. Powered fans and many ridge vent systems can be added to an existing roof, though some ridge vent installs are best done during a re-roof. If the shortfall turns out to be intake at the soffits rather than exhaust at the ridge, we will tell you that first rather than sell you exhaust that cannot breathe.

What’s the difference between ridge vents and box vents?

Ridge vents run the full length of your roof peak, providing continuous exhaust along the entire ridge. Box vents (also called static vents) are individual units placed at intervals. A ridge vent exhausts evenly along a long ridge; where the ridge is short or broken up, box vents can do the job better. Either way, one type of exhaust per attic works best, balanced with the intake at the eaves. We install both, and every other kind of roof vent.

Does ventilation help in winter too?

Absolutely. In winter, ventilation carries warm, moist air out of your attic before it can condense on cold surfaces and cause moisture damage. Proper ventilation is also the first defence against ice dams — it keeps your roof deck cold so snow doesn’t melt unevenly.

Next Step

Let Your Roof Breathe.
It’ll Thank You for Decades.

We’ll inspect your current ventilation, calculate what your attic actually needs, and recommend the right system — all at no cost.

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