How do you choose the right roof ventilator

Isa Stralian

What type of roof ventilator do I get?, ……everything looks the same,……. how do I know which ventilator is best for my situation?…
The simple answer is you don’t.
It’s this lack of information that allows you to fall prey to the first person who sounds as though they know what they’re talking about when discussing roof ventilators and ventilation products….maybe they do…chances are they don’t.

And let’s face it, in all fairness one doesn’t go out and buy a roof ventilator that often that they acquire some smarts about what to buy as they would in say, buying a car the next time around.
Roof ventilation is a one time purchase for most.

Once upon a time

In the past roof ventilation was something that was intrinsically present, along with other features such as eaves vents, ceiling vents, wall vents and sub floor vents, all part of the fundamental house prerequisite as regards to ventilation.

Today these venting features are only present in some architecturally designed homes, very rarely in spec homes unless the client has had the foresight to include ventilation items in his/her building specifications.

Nevertheless the task at hand is to choose a ventilation product and or ventilation system. I say ventilation system because you want both the means of ingress and egress.
One without the other doesn’t work well and sales people are in the habit of selling the easiest quick profit products such as the roof ventilator.
Leaving you to discover you only purchased one half of what was essential.

Roof Ventilator types

Roof ventilators come in different sizes and modes of operation, there’s the ‘wind driven’, the type that makes your home look like a factory roof but allows you to believe you’re getting something for nothing.
Then after you’ve purchased the first one or two you’re told you don’t have enough, so you need to decide whether to buy more in order to achieve the end result you were hoping for.

Then there’s the ‘passive, ‘static’ vent. the terms are meant to describe a motionless ventilator in an attempt to diminish it’s performance validity against the so called – dynamic’- ‘turbo’- turbine’- wind driven’- Supa Doopa roof ventilator.

The Gimmicks

Then we also have the roof ventilation gimmick of the decade, ‘the solar vent’ which presents itself as high tech.
Has poor overall performance values and not to mention being totally useless of in the evening when you need to purge the residual heat out before facing the new day.
The illusion of getting great benefit at zero cost.
Not when you consider the overall poor performance of the unit coupled with the early degeneration of the solar cell and fan failure, rendering the unit next to useless in a short period of time.
The life/performance of the fan itself comes into question.

Remember, roof ventilation starts with the correct hole size in the roof.
Only one correctly sized roof ventilator or cupola protecting the hole in the roof and able to maintain it’s integrity in all weather conditions.
Too many have been sucked in by the impulse buy of one, only to end up with several on their home.

So when you’re considering roof ventilation, think beyond making the possums more comfortable…….
Select what is going to going to work after the installation of your roof ventilator and or ventilation system.

The purpose of roof ventilation is to improve the comfort levels in the rooms below as best you can without incurring ongoing future cost.

Condor Kinetic

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