Ventilated Roof Apparatus and Method

Abstract

In ventilating a roof, an eave vent and a ridge vent are provided. The eave vent and ridge vent each is equipped with a fabric filter. The fabric filter is not waterproof and is wettable and hence self-cleaning. The permeability to air of the eave vent fabric filter is less than that of the ridge vent fabric filter and the resistance to air flow of the eave vent is greater than that of the ridge vent. The attic space under the roof acts as a manifold, distributing low pressure throughout the attic space.

1 . An apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
 a. a roof deck, said roof deck being located on a structure, said roof deck covering an attic space, said roof deck being pitched, said roof deck having a ridge and an eave;   b. a ridge vent located proximal to said ridge, said ridge vent defining a ridge vent opening, said ridge vent opening being in communication with said attic space through said roof deck;   c. an eave vent, said eave vent being located at said eave, said eave vent defining an eave vent opening, said eave vent opening being in communication with said attic space through said roof deck, said ridge vent defining a ridge vent resistance to an air flow, said eave vent defining an eave vent resistance to said air flow, said eave vent resistance to said air flow being greater than said ridge vent resistance to said air flow.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said ridge vent and said eave vent are composed of a corrugated plastic, said corrugated plastic defining a plurality of channels, said plurality of channels of said ridge vent defining said ridge vent opening, said plurality of channels of said eave vent defining said eave vent opening. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a. a ridge vent fabric filter, said ridge vent opening being disposed on an outside of said ridge vent, said ridge vent fabric filter covering said ridge vent opening, said ridge vent fabric filter having a ridge vent fabric permeability to air;   b. an eave vent fabric filter, said eave vent opening being disposed on an outside of said eave vent, said eave vent fabric filter covering said eave vent opening, said eave vent fabric filter having an eave vent fabric permeability to air, said eave vent permeability to air being less than said ridge vent permeability to air.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein said ridge vent fabric filter is composed of a wettable fabric. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein said ridge vent defining a ridge vent top and a ridge vent bottom, said ridge vent fabric filter extending from said ridge vent top to said ridge vent bottom, said ridge vent fabric filter being secured to said ridge vent top and to said ridge vent bottom by a one of an adhesive bond and a thermal weld, said eave vent defining an eave vent top and an eave vent bottom, said eave vent fabric filter extending from said eave vent top to said eave vent bottom, said eave vent fabric filter being secured to said eave vent top and to said eave vent bottom by a one of said adhesive bond and said thermal weld. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein said eave vent opening is composed of a first plurality of layers of said corrugated plastic, said eave vent defining an eave vent support, said eave vent support being composed of a second plurality of layers of said corrugated plastic, said first plurality being greater than said second plurality, said corrugated plastic of said eave vent support defining a plurality of said channels, said eave vent opening being in communication with said attic space through said channels defined by said eave vent support. 
     
     
         7 . An eave vent apparatus, the eave vent apparatus comprising: a corrugated plastic, said corrugated plastic defining a plurality of channels, said plurality of channels defining an eave vent intake opening, said eave vent having a bottom side, said bottom side of said eave vent opening defining an eave vent discharge opening, said eave vent intake opening being in communication with said eave vent discharge opening, said eave vent being configured so that said plurality of channels defining said eave vent intake opening are in communication with an attic space when said eave vent is mounted to a top side of a roof deck having a ridge and an eave and said eave vent discharge opening is in communication with a roof deck eave vent opening proximal to said eave, said eave vent having an eave vent resistance to air flow, said eave vent resistance to air flow being selected so that said eave vent resistance to said air flow is greater than a ridge vent resistance to said air flow when said eave vent is mounted in communication with said roof deck eave vent opening and said ridge vent is mounted in communication with a roof deck ridge opening proximal to said ridge. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , the apparatus further comprising:
 A soffit fabric filter, said eave vent opening being disposed on an outside of said eave vent, said eave vent fabric filter covering said eave vent opening, said eave vent fabric filter having an eave vent fabric permeability to air, said eave vent permeability to air being less than a permeability to air of a ridge vent fabric filter when said eave vent is mounted in communication with said roof deck eave vent opening and said ridge vent is mounted in communication with said roof deck ridge opening, and said ridge vent has a discharge opening covered by said ridge vent fabric filter.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein said eave vent fabric filter is composed of a wettable fabric. 
     
     
         10 . A ridge vent apparatus, the ridge vent apparatus comprising: a corrugated plastic, said corrugated plastic defining a plurality of channels, said plurality of channels defining a ridge vent discharge opening, the ridge vent apparatus having a bottom side, said bottom side of the ridge vent apparatus defining a ridge vent intake opening, said ridge vent intake opening being in communication with said ridge vent discharge opening, said ridge vent intake opening being in communication with an attic space when said ridge vent is mounted to a ridge of a roof deck and said ridge vent intake opening is in communication with a roof deck ridge opening in said roof deck, said ridge vent having a ridge vent resistance to air flow, said ridge vent resistance to air flow being selected so that said ridge vent resistance to said air flow is less than an eave vent resistance to said air flow when said ridge vent is mounted to said roof ridge and said eave vent is mounted in communication with said attic space proximal to an eave of said roof deck. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , the apparatus further comprising:
 A ridge vent fabric filter, said ridge vent discharge opening being disposed on an outside of the ridge vent apparatus, said ridge vent fabric filter covering said ridge vent discharge opening, said ridge vent fabric filter having a ridge vent fabric permeability to air, said ridge vent permeability to air being greater than a permeability to air of an eave vent fabric filter when said ridge vent is mounted to said ridge of said roof deck, and said eave vent is mounted in communication with said attic space proximal to said eave, and said eave vent has an intake opening covered by said eave vent fabric filter.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein said ridge vent fabric filter is composed of a wettable fabric. 
     
     
         13 . A method for ventilating a roof, the method comprising:
 a. providing a ridge vent, said ridge vent being composed of a corrugated plastic, said corrugations defining a plurality of ridge vent channels, said plurality of ridge vent channels defining a ridge vent discharge opening, said bottom of said ridge vent defining a ridge vent intake opening, said ridge vent having a resistance to air flow from said ridge vent intake opening to said ridge vent discharge opening;   b. installing said ridge vent, the roof defining a roof deck having a ridge and an eave and defining an attic space, said roof defining a roof deck ridge opening proximal to said ridge, said roof deck ridge opening communicating through said roof deck, said ridge vent being installed so that said ridge vent intake opening is located in communication with said attic space through said roof deck ridge opening;   c. providing an eave vent, said eave vent being composed of said corrugated plastic, said corrugated plastic defining a plurality of eave vent channels, said plurality of eave vent channels defining an eave vent intake opening, said eave vent having a bottom side, said eave vent bottom side defining an eave vent discharge opening, said eave vent intake opening being in communication with said eave vent discharge opening, said eave vent having an eave vent resistance to air flow from said eave vent intake opening to said eave vent discharge opening, said eave vent resistance to air flow being greater than said ridge vent resistance to air flow; and   d. installing said eave vent proximal to said eave of said roof deck, said eave vent discharge opening being in communication with said attic space.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said ridge vent includes a ridge vent fabric filter, said ridge vent fabric filter being configured to cover an outside of said ridge vent discharge opening, said ridge vent fabric filter having a ridge vent permeability to air, said eave vent including an eave vent fabric filter, said eave vent fabric filter being configured to cover an outside of said eave vent intake opening, said eave vent fabric filter having an eave vent permeability to air, said ridge vent permeability to air being greater than said eave vent permeability to air. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said ridge vent has a ridge vent top side, said ridge vent fabric filter extending from said ridge vent top side to said ridge vent bottom side, said ridge vent fabric filter being attached to said ridge vent top side and to said ridge vent bottom side by a one of an adhesive bond and a thermal weld, and wherein said eave vent has an eave vent top side, said eave vent fabric filter extending from said eave vent top side to said eave vent bottom side, said eave vent fabric filter being attached to said eave vent top side and to said eave vent bottom side by said one of said adhesive bond and said thermal weld. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said ridge vent fabric filter and said eave vent fabric filter are composed of a wettable fabric. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said ridge and said eave of said roof each has a length, said ridge vent has a length and said eave vent has a length, said length of said ridge vent is selected to occupy substantially all of said length of said ridge, said length of said eave vent is selected to occupy substantially all of said length of said eave.