Attics can build up a tremendous amount of heat in the summer. The excess heat in the attic can raise the temperature in your home. The way to remove that heat is through a balanced attic ventilation system.
At the top or the ridge of the roof, exhaust vents are installed. These are called roof vents , ridge vents or in the case of some homes cupolas.
At the bottom of the roof in the overhang area, a soffit vent system is installed. Without the soffit vents the air has a harder time exhausting through the ridge. Let me give you an example. Put a window fan in your bedroom window and point it outward so that it exhausts air out of your home. Now close the bedroom door. The fan speed slows down. Open the door and the fan speed increases. The open door is working like your soffit vents by allowing air to be drawn out of the attic through the ridge.
Keep your cooling costs down this summer and reduce moisture that could lead to mold growth by having Quigley Company install a balanced ventilation system now.
The first picture is an attic vented with a cupola. The second is a modern style shingle vent II ridge vent. The third picture shows the direction of airflow. And the fourth picture is of a typical soffit vent called a continuous strip vent.
What is your recommendation for locations requiring fire-resistive soffit details, which often prevent soffit venting? Gable end to ridge venting is one way. What is the best way?
This is killing two birds with one stone. Ventilating throughout the winter will equally cool your roof which will prevent ice dams from forming(they form because of heat differences, right?) and as I read here ice dams may also cause mold growth. Gutter specialist here, have to deal with ice dams damage regularly.