Roof Dryer Vent Hood Manufacturers

You can go to any home center store and get an inexpensive and probably ineffective dryer vent kit. Some of these same stores may even stock the specialized roof dryer vent that I have on my own home. However, I wouldn't bet the ranch on it.

I have had the best luck locating these special roof vents at light fixture showroom stores. These places almost always handle bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans as well. The bathroom and exhaust fan manufacturers just happen to make the wonderful specialized roof dryer vents too!

In fact, since I installed the one on my roof they have improved them. My roof vent is made from metal. It had a wonderful painted finish that has now all but washed away. The new vents are made from heavy duty plastic and have a great insect and varmint screen. The flapper is also quite nice. The best part is that they are virtually leakproof if installed correctly. My roof vent has never leaked even in the worst blowing rain.

Call both of these manufacturers and get a catalog. Look under bath fan accessories and check out the roof terminals caps. You should have no problem finding out where to buy these great items.

• Broan-NuTone LLC
  
  
• Duraflo

I have found that it is often best to vent fans and dryers through the roof. I urge you to watch this video of mine to see how easy it is to install the correct vent-cap flashing on a roof. Have no fear - if done right you will have no leaks.

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Have you ever gone up into a hot attic? I mean a really hot attic. The heat can be stifling. This heat is doing everything it can to get through to the inside of your house. Adding attic insulation is a great way to offset this heat. Moving air through an attic can help remove some heat, but only if the air comes from the outside of a home. This of course can be a challenge.

Ventilation

Attic ventilation is a hot topic - no pun intended. Those of us in the industry have become more aware because of the changes in building practices in the past 25 to 30 years. Prior to the mid-1960's, attic insulation and ventilation was not really important. Rising fuel costs, rapid advancements in window technology, vapor barrier use and environmental issues have made us more aware that insulation and ventilation are important. They can save you money and help to preserve the investment in your home.

Continuous ridge and soffit ventilation is a good system. It works for free using the natural forces of Mother Nature. Every time wind blows across your roof it creates a mini low pressure area or vacuum. This suction gently moves air through your attic space as long as replacement air can easily get into your attic. Since air desires the path of least resistance, you need to make sure that soffit ventilation entry points are open and prolific so that the air doesn't come from inside your home.

The only time air from inside your home can be used is when you operate a whole house fan. These great products are used when you do not have air conditioning, or when the outside air is cool enough or at a low enough humidity so that it is comfortable.

If you air condition your home, the last thing you want is air conditioned air finding its way into your attic and out the vents! This is why powered attic ventilation can be harmful to your pocketbook.

Learn how to better insulate your home and read this additional information about continuous ridge and soffit ventilation.

Related Articles:  Powered Attic Fans-Insulation Facts, Continuous Ridge & Soffit Vent Manufacturers, Insulation Values

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Insulation Values for Existing and New Homes

Do you want your house insulation up to minimum standards? If so, then you must read the U.S. Department of Energy's Insulation Fact Sheet. It contains information on the types of insulation you should have in your ceilings, walls and floors. Remember, you can add more if you think you will get a benefit. However, don't compress batt insulation. This means do not try to squeeze a nine inch batt into a six inch cavity. Use some common sense.

For a more accurate and simpler method of determining your insulation needs, try the U.S. Department of Energy's Interactive ZIP Code Insulation Program, which uses your zip code and some information about your house to tell you where to add insulation. The program was developed by the Energy Division of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. State and local codes in some parts of the country may require lower R-values than the DOE recommendations, which are based on cost-effectiveness.

Related Articles:  Powered Attic Fans-Insulation Facts, Continuous Ridge & Soffit Vent Manufacturers, Ventilation - Keeping Home & Attic Cool

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Continuous Ridge and Soffit Vent Manufacturers

Check out the web sites of the following manufacturers and you will find some great information on ridge and soffit ventilation products. You will be amazed at the variety of products. 

Related Articles:  Powered Attic Fans-Insulation Facts, Insulation Values, Ventilation - Keeping Home & Attic Cool

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Cooling doesn't have to come from air conditioners. Just sit under a paddle fan and feel what simple air movement can do. Of course, if the dew point is above 70 F, moving air doesn't do much good, you still feel sticky. Fortunately, many parts of the nation don't have oppressive humidity, and whole house fans can really do a nice job of cooling a house and its occupants on hot summer days.

Creating a Breeze

My personal experience with whole house fans allows me to tell you that these machines will do a great job, if you monitor which windows in your house you open and close to feed the fan's appetite for air.

The simple trick is to open the windows in the rooms you are occupying at that point in time. You want a breeze to flow past you, so that you benefit from the fan's work. It is important that you keep windows closed or nearly closed in the rooms that do not have occupants. Why? If you open all of the windows in your house, there is a good chance that just a little air will flow through each room. On the other hand, if you open the windows in just one room, you might create a moderate windstorm in that area as all of the air being sucked by the fan makes its way through the room and up to the attic.

It will take a little practice for you to get a good air flow through your house. Trust me, it will not take long to figure out how to create a smooth flow of air through many rooms.

Types of Drives

There are two types of ways that the fan blades are driven. Many fans have a direct drive connection between the blades and the motor shaft. This method frees you from ever having to adjust a fan belt or replace a broken belt. The other common drive mechanism is the traditional fan belt. A belt driven fan allows the motor to be offset from the blades. A high quality fan with this setup can last for years with little attention. Fan belts made today can resist years of use and high attic temperatures.

Clean the Fans

Whole house fans move vast amounts of air and in that air is always dust. This dust accumulates on the fan blades, the motor and all other surfaces. You can extend the life of the fan motor if you vacuum off this dust at least once a season. Dust that accumulates on the motor housing causes the motor to get hot. Hot motors simply burn up long before their time.

Which Velocity?

When you start to look at fans, you are going to see a big difference in capacity. The air that the fans push is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). The opening bid on the minimum amount of air any one moves is 1,000 CFM. You can get fans that move nearly 7,000 CFM.

Moving lots of air in a short amount of time creates a penalty. This penalty is noise. If you have ever been near a large high velocity whole house fan, the noise they create can be deafening. Obviously, the farther away you are from the fan, the noise decreases.

The solution to this problem is to consider low velocity - or low CFM fans. To get comfort from a low velocity system, you may have to fine tune your open and closed window program, but that extra effort may be music to your ears.

Timers

Many people really like whole house fans for the comfort they deliver at night. In fact, they can deliver way too much comfort and actually make you cold. The fan manufacturers know all about this and deal with this by using timers. There are a variety of different timers that allow you to control the fans' on and off cycles and how long each cycle lasts. A timer with your whole house fan is a must.

Ask Around

Ask your friends, neighbors, co-workers if they have a whole house fan. Visit them to see how it feels and sounds. Don't operate it if the house is closed up and ashes are in the fireplace. The voice of experience talking!

Companion Articles:  Cooling With Mother Nature and Whole House Fans,  Whole House Fan Installation Tips, Whole House Fan Sizes and Manufacturers

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There are several manufacturers of whole house fans. Some are small companies and other are huge. There are also some in-between companies. The actual fans are not really complicated. They consist of a housing to support an electrical motor and the fan blades. The better fans have better electric motors and better balanced blades. As you might expect, these fans cost a little more.

I have listed some average sized fans and their capacities below. The fans I have listed that are made by the Broan company are considered high velocity fans since they push more than 3,000 cubic feet of air per minute (CFM). I have also listed a low velocity fan after the following table that has two separate sets of blades. This one is made by Tamarack Technologies.

The Tamarack Technologies fan is the HV1000. It has a neat special insulated cover that closes over the fan blades when the fan is off. This feature eliminates cold drafts in the winter or hot air from entering the house if you are using air conditioning.

Whole House Fan Manufacturers

Here is a list of companies that still make whole house fans. Get some free product literature and a list of suppliers in your area!

• Air Vent, Inc.
  
  
  

• Broan

• Cool Attic

• Fan America, Inc.

• Kool-o-Matic

• L L Building Products

• Fasco

• Lomanco

• Tamarack technologies

Companion Articles:  Cooling With Mother Nature and Whole House Fans,  Whole House Fan Installation Tips,, Cooling Comfort With Whole House Fans

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Whole House Fan Installation Tips

Most of the newer whole house fans are designed to be installed with minimal alterations to attic framing. Special models are made that can actually fit over and around attic trusses that have been placed at 24 inch centers. Don't make the mistake of buying a fan that fits your framing but NOT your house. An undersized fan simply might not move enough air.

Exhaust Air Ports

Pay attention to the instructions that come with the fan. They will undoubtedly mention attic exhaust area and will represent this number in square feet. Do whatever is necessary to achieve or exceed this number. There is a very good chance that you will need to install extra roof vents to meet this important requirement. If you don't know how to install a roof vent without causing a leak, you will need a roofer.

The size of the hole cut in the roof is not the true ventilation area. Often the instructions refer to net free area. This is usually 50 percent of the actual hole that is cut. Why only 50 percent? The screening, louvers, rain covers, etc. that are a part of roof and gable end vents create resistance to air flow.

Dealing With Insulation

Many attics have blown-in insulation. Powerful attic fans can create a virtual snow storm in attic spaces, if you don't plan ahead. Often, you simply need to construct a simple plywood box or sides around the attic fan. This will deflect air up towards the roof and stop insulation from being sucked into the high speed air flow immediately adjacent to the fan.

This box can also serve another valuable purpose. If you take your time and cut all of the pieces so they are flush and level once installed, it makes a superb platform to support an insulated cover for when the fan is not used. Many of the ceiling louver kits allow vast amounts of cold air to drop down into the house during winter months. You can cover your attic fan from the top with strips of plywood that are then covered with batt fiberglass insulation. If you are really handy you will glue pieces of foil faced foam to the sides of your attic fan deflector box to stop heat loss through the sides of the structure.

Electric Needs

If you purchase a low powered fan, you might not need a separate circuit for the fan. In any case, you need to follow the National Electric Code with respect to fans like this. It may say or your local inspector demand that a separate circuit be installed. If your builder or electrician was thinking ahead, then it will be easy. I always installed several blank or empty conduits from the electric panel to the attic area to accommodate future wiring needs. If you don't have one, try to find where the large plumbing stack travels up from the basement area to the attic. Often the plumbers leave enough space between the pipe and the framing to allow you to drop a string and pull a wire.

Trusses

If you are getting ready to cut a truss to make your fan fit, STOP! You can't cut a prefabricated truss without seriously compromising your roof structure. Go to plan B, or call in an experienced carpenter who can tell you your options.

Companion Articles:  Cooling With Mother Nature and Whole House Fans,  Whole House Fan Sizes and Manufacturers,  Cooling Comfort With Whole House Fans

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Cupolas Can Serve Double Duty

Cupolas are indeed unique architectural features. They go well with certain homes and not so well with others. Often they seem to look best on an accessory structure like a garage or a shed. The one I have on my garage would look very funny on my house but it seems very attractive on the garage. Isn't that weird?

Decorative or a Workhorse?

Some cuploas end up being simply decorative. Even though they are built to act as ventilators, the person installing them decides to simply make the necessary angle cuts and just attach the cupola to the roof. In my case I wanted the cupola to serve as an excellent rooftop ventilator. It sticks up in the air and any breeze that passes by helps to siphon hot air from my garage attic space. To accomplish this, I had to cut a hole in the top of my roof. The cupola sits over this hole. You can actually climb into the attic and stick your head up inside of the cupola, much like an army tank turret. Hmmmmm, I better not mention that to my son or he will be up there in a flash surveying the countryside for the enemy!

Weathervanes

You need to be careful when you buy a weathervane. Some of them are quite decorative and they look nice, but they are not very functional. The balance of the vane is critical. If the top part of the weathervane is not well balanced, the vane will have a tough time reacting to changes in wind direction. Only the strongest gusts will move it. The best weathervanes are often equipped with a ball bearing. The bearing sits between the top of the iron shaft and the top of the weathervane tube that slides over the iron shaft. If the weathervane is well balanced, it takes very little to get it to rotate.

Companion Articles: Cupolas, Cupola Installation Tips, Weathervane & Cupola Manufacturers

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Cupola Installation Tips

Most of the cupolas come with installation instructions. Some are well written and others assume you have been a full time carpenter for about 15 years or so. Keep in mind that installing one of these devices is not a very easy job. You need a certain degree of skill and you need certain tools. You also need to be careful since you are working up on a roof.

The first thing to do is cut the base of the cupola so it matches the roof pitch. Be aware that certain cupola bases will only work for certain maximum roof pitches! It is a good idea to determine the roof pitch before you start to make sure the cupola is going to work. Roof pitch is simply the amount of slope measured by calculating how many inches of drop for every foot of horizontal run.

The cupola needs to be centered on the roof. Once you think you have the correct roof pitch, why not transfer it onto a scrap piece of plywood that is the same size as the side of the cupola? Make your cuts and take the plywood up onto the roof to see if it fits. If the plywood was a square or rectangle before you started, then the top of the piece should be level when you place the cut edges on the actual roof surface. If you are satisfied with the fit, then transfer the pattern to the bottom of the cupola base and cut both sides. Take the cupola base up on the roof and see how it fits.

Flashing

If you decide to make your cupola a ventilator, metal roof flashing is a must. Do not rely on caulk to keep rain from getting under the cupola. The caulk will eventually fail.

The cupola will need to be attached to blocks that are screwed to the roof. The cupola base slides over these blocks. Metal roof flashing is installed under each shingle and butts up against the blocks. You may need help from a roofer with this!

Companion Articles: Cupolas, Weathervane & Cupola Tips, Weathervane & Cupola Manufacturers

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Weathervane and Cupola Manufacturers

You can go to home centers and old fashioned lumber yards to get a start on buying a cupola. Open your Yellow Pages and look under Brass and you will find shops that sell some weathervanes. But if you want the best place to buy both, head to the Internet. I did a search and came up with lots of companies. To save you some time I have selected just a few that amazed me with their presentation and knowledge. These companies have some very cool products!

• AA Statuary and Weathervanes Co.
  

  This company has the most complete list of weathervanes I have ever seen. You want an Indian, they have it. You want a salmon fish, they have it. How about a witch on a broom, you bet! You will not waste your time here!

• Skip's Outdoor Accents
  

  This company has a wealth of helpful information about cupolas, weathervanes, lightning rods, finials, etc. Do you have a big house or commercial building? They have a cupola that will fit, trust me!

• CUPOLA
  

  Now here is an interesting company. They supply you with interesting facts, photos and tidbits about cupolas.

• NewConceptLouvers

• Custom Home Accessories

Companion Articles: Cupolas, Weathervane & Cupola Tips, Cupola Installation Tips

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