Evaluation of Attic Ventilation Systems

A laboratory method was developed to measure wind effects on ridge vent performance. Various commercial and fabricated ridge vents were tested for airflow performance at several wind speeds.The peak section of a roof with a ridge vent was placed in a wind tunnel.Wind-induced airflow out of the ridge vent section was measured.It was found that a ridge vents airflow performance was more related to its’ design rather than the commonly used Net Free Area (NFA).