Brick Craftsman Intake Vent How?

Roofing/Construction Questions
1

I have a Craftsman style house with 24" overhangs and exposed rafter tails. Normally, this would not be bad to vent except my home is brick. The brick goes right up to the sheathing. I’m looking for ideas on how to add an intake vent. This home is in snowy Cleveland.

I have a couple thoughts:

  1. Chip away brick. Not pleasant, not pretty
  2. Use SmartVent in a mid-roof application. My concern is with a 24" cold overhang snow builds up in front…plus a small concern of look.
  3. Cut a slit in the sheathing at the top and use SmartVent or Coravent in the slit with ice guard on top (one suggestion was to add flashing over top that). It allows are to go up and over the brick. See Image. This seems like an good option, but is a non-standard use of the product…and hence risky.

I’m looking for any other thoughts or suggestions.

http://www.roofing.com/gallery/albums/userpics/27629/Roof_Vent.JPG

thanks.

2

Such is my concern with the DCI Smartvent product. I have asked Ed the Roofer about Smartvent and he said he has never had a problem with it as far as snow/ice is concerned. Frankly I am still skeptical but if any roof was ever made for the Smart vent design, it’s yours. If the snow becomes a problem there is always the option of installing heater cables on your roof eaves.

Another option if your attic is open would be the solar powered intake vent that Ranch Hand likes.

I have used neither of these product however.

3

I have used the Smart Vent on pitches as low as around a 4/12 as a mid-roof intake ventilation solution.

With the extreme sever winter we had here in Chicago this recent season and al of the calls for ice-damming, if there was going to be a problem, it would have occurred this season.

I may post some mid-roof ventilation photos on another site, that I am more comfortable with, as far as the ease to post photos, but it probably wil not happen until tomorrow or Saturday due to my schedule later today.

If there is such a thing as a roofing product being the best thing since sliced bread, I personally vouch for the ease and effectiveness of the Smart Vent for providing efficient fresh air intake ventilation, wholeheartedly.

Ed

4

On the attic question…It has cathedral ceilings in the entire upstairs. After the roof, I’ll be fixing the inside to provide ventilation flow up to the ridge.

On the midroof SmartVent…This winter the snow built up on the overhangs didnt melt for sometimes a week or more. The heat caused the main roof to melt much faster. At times you could see visibly thick snow on the overhang and much less to none on the main roof. I dont know if it ever would get bad enough to back up into the vent, but at the very least it would seem to be ‘blocked’ until all the snow melted. Since all the roof intake would be done this way, my concern would be that venting stops for some days/weeks during the winter. Of course, maybe this isnt enough ‘time’ to be a concern?

(pitch is ~7/12)

Thanks for your responses.

5

[quote=“geapea”]On the attic question…It has cathedral ceilings in the entire upstairs. After the roof, I’ll be fixing the inside to provide ventilation flow up to the ridge.

On the midroof SmartVent…This winter the snow built up on the overhangs didnt melt for sometimes a week or more. The heat caused the main roof to melt much faster. At times you could see visibly thick snow on the overhang and much less to none on the main roof. I dont know if it ever would get bad enough to back up into the vent, but at the very least it would seem to be ‘blocked’ until all the snow melted. Since all the roof intake would be done this way, my concern would be that venting stops for some days/weeks during the winter. Of course, maybe this isnt enough ‘time’ to be a concern?

(pitch is ~7/12)

Thanks for your responses.[/quote]

One of the main and essential functions of proper fresh air intake ventilation balanced with an equal NFVA of continuous ridge line exhaust ventilation, is to create what is known as a Cold Attic Assembly.

You might want to consider each individual rafter bay in the vaulted/cathedral ceiling areas to each be a seperate containment of attic space.

Upon exhausting the hot arir contents from the interior rafter bays or attic space, and even more efficiently with the addition of the Smart Vent being installed just at the heated wall juncion, on the warm, interior side, the air flowage wil reduce the interior heated environment to a similar temperature as the exterior climatic conditions.

The current super-heated interior environment is the cause of the upper roofs snow meltage and the overhange are akin to bridges, whereby the sign posted state that “Bridges Freeze Before Roads”. The same affect occurs on the unheated soffit overhangs, which have no underlying heated environment to melt the snow and ice.

Continuous fresh air intake ventilation, using the Smart Vent by DCI Products and continuous attic and rafter bay hot air exhaust, using the Shingle Vent II by Air Vent Corp., has been my premier solution to similar situations.

I even provided this exact same solution on a manufactured home in an elderly retirement center this past November, which withstood the entire duration of this extreme winter ice damming season without any negative consequences at all.

Ed

6

geapea,

Hard or soft brick/mortar?

Is there a side wall you could vent?

Have you had leaks from ice dams in the past?

Lakewood or Cleveland Hts.?

7

[quote]Hard or soft brick/mortar?
[/quote]

No idea. 1920s. I will own the home in a couple months. It’s been vacant for a year and ill kept for many before that. I’ve been inside a bunch though. Current roof is cedar over asphalt. Pieces of cedar litter the ground (falling off).

Chipping the brick is an option, but my guess is very labor intense (2 stories up)…and i’m not sure if the brick work lines up with the rafters…will have to check that.

[quote]Is there a side wall you could vent?
[/quote]

I havent dug into the walls, but outside is brick all the way up (2 stories) to the sheathing, all sides.

[quote]Have you had leaks from ice dams in the past?
[/quote]

There are numerous leaks but it’s difficult to tell whether they are because of ice dams or a roof way beyond it’s time. Visually this winter I can see twice as much snow on the overhang than roof over the heated space. (Of course, there’s currently no ventilation and a limited insulation.)

[quote]Lakewood or Cleveland Hts.?
[/quote]

Brecksville actually.

I guess I’m leaning more toward the SmartVent now. I totally understand the theory of operation. Just maybe not clear when the snow flies how it intakes. Though it seems people have positive experiences with it in comparable climates.

thanks.

8

Brecksville?

There’s no snow in Brecksville!

What snow you have we call frost.

:smiley:

9

Please follow this link to some photos I posted elsewhere to illustrate the installation of the Smart Vent, Fresh Air Intake Ventilation System in addition to the Shingle Vent II continuous Ridge Vent on this home.

contractortalk.com/showthread.php?t=37659

Ed

10

thanks for the photos.

on snow…i was busting my back on something this year…brecksville is considered to be in the secondary snow belt (or wanna-be)…but yeah, you win.

on smartvent…as i look more a couple questions pop up that maybe ed or someone can answer based on experience with midroof applications.

  1. dci show ice guard on top of the vent, but in a mid roof app (like mine), should the first course over the cold overhang be 30lb felt or still ice guard.

  2. with a “three tab” (GAF Slateline) shingle, i guess you put another starter course down on top the vent? or is leaving the ice guard ok? (colorwise, i’ll have a weather gray shingle, so the dark lines should be visually ok, i believe)

11

[quote=“geapea”]thanks for the photos.

on snow…i was busting my back on something this year…brecksville is considered to be in the secondary snow belt (or wanna-be)…but yeah, you win.

on smartvent…as i look more a couple questions pop up that maybe ed or someone can answer based on experience with midroof applications.

  1. dci show ice guard on top of the vent, but in a mid roof app (like mine), should the first course over the cold overhang be 30lb felt or still ice guard.

  2. with a “three tab” (GAF Slateline) shingle, i guess you put another starter course down on top the vent? or is leaving the ice guard ok? (colorwise, i’ll have a weather gray shingle, so the dark lines should be visually ok, i believe)[/quote]

I used I & W Shield under the Smart Vent all the way to the slot cutout and also on top of it.

Yes, you need another row of starter course shingles at the Mid-Roof application

I & W Shield products break down from prolonged exposure to the UV Rays of the Sun.

Ed