This project is continued from Hail Damaged Roof Replacement: Part 2 – Chimney.
The old attic box vents and roof decking are permanently removed to prevent the box vents from short-circuiting the air flow to the ridge vents.
Attic Box Vents
The following photo of the old gas flue vents and attic box vents (also known as “turtle vents”) taken several years ago. I later had attic ridge vents installed at my own expense long before the hail storm. Box vents should not be used with ridge vents because the box vents can become air intakes, short circuiting the air flow, where the intake air to be drawn in from the soffit vents under the eaves to cool the entire attic.
You can block off the box vents lifting up the vent flashing and applying roofing felt over the hole in the roof deck, or by covering the holes inside the attic. Since the roof is being replaced, this was a perfect opportunity to have have new OSB decking installed to completely eliminate the box vents and vent holes.
View of the box vents and gas flue pipes from inside the attic before the old roof is torn off:
Hail Damaged Roof Replacement: Part 3 – Attic Ridge and Box Vents
Attic Box Vent and Roof Deck Removal
Daylight is streaming into the attic after the old shingles, box vents and ridge vents are torn off:
The OSB roof deck is pried off and tossed into the dumpster. New OSB deck board will be installed to completely eliminate the attic box vents. Also notice the roofers have removed several HardiePlank siding boards two sides of the chimney (left side of photo) to wrap the chimney in ice & water shield and install new flashing.
You don’t see an attic laying open like this unless there’s been a tornado or hurricane! If you compare the gas flue vents in this photo to the first photo above, you’ll notice the flue vents are shorter. The flue vents were leaking and I had those repaired a couple years ago in this project.
The attic is temporarily open to the sky!
Two box vents were located on this lower section of the roof where the deck has been taken off. If you look closely, you’ll see a gap in the ridge line where the ridge vent will be reinstalled:
This project is continued in Hail Damaged Roof Replacement: Part 4 – Gas Flue Vents.
Take care,
Bob Jackson
