Hi All,

I'm refinishing the cathedral ceiling in my living room. A carpenter friend suggests I should pull down the insulation batts and install vent chutes while I have things opened up. There's currently no ventilation up there as far as I can tell. It doesn't look like there is a ridge vent, and there are definitely no soffit vents. There is no evidence of moisture behind the insulation that I can see, but I guess this would be a good opportunity to prevent it becoming a problem later.

The exterior of the roof is pretty new, probably less than 5 years old, so I don't imagine we'd be doing any roofing work anytime soon otherwise. How much of a job is installing a ridge vent in an existing roof? I'd definitely hire a roofer for that part; the roof is very steep. Or maybe it could wait? Is there any downside to installing the vent chutes now, even if it could be a while before the rest of the ventilation system is in place?

The house was built in the 1950s, and we're in Maine.

Any comments would be welcomed. Thanks!

Roy

Do not cut vents in that roof just yet. Lets look at this again. The house is nearly 60 years old, no moisture problem, no real issue for half of a century. All you have is one guy suggesting something and what if he doesn't really know what he is talking about, folks do that you know. Ridge vents and other vents are for attics, not heated living spaces or cathedral ceilings. They are passive and leak air via convection currents and you'll be paying to heat that air. If it were me Roy I think I asked a architect or professional roofer in your climate if any venting is ever used in a cathedral ceiling, they sure aren't in Chicago.

If it ain't broke , don't fix it.

Well I spoke to a roofer as ballengerb1 suggested. He said that yes, it is standard practice to use this type of ventilation system in a cathedral ceiling in our area. Basically he said that if it was his house he'd install baffles while the ceiling was open. We'll do the ridge vent some time in the future. He also suggested we add some 1" rigid foam panels to augment the insulation. The rafters are only 2x6 so there's not much fiberglass up there, and the panels (with taped seams) will help reduce air infiltration. Sounds like a plan to me.

Any other comments welcomed. Thanks for your help guys!

9 out of 10 homes are improperly vented. Houses are becoming more and more airtight. New windows, insulation behind siding, etc... Do it right, or pay the consequences later.