DIYbanter - Roof vent with an open/close switch for cathedral ceiling?

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Roof vent with an open/close switch for cathedral ceiling?

The guy who owned my house before me did a very nice looking renovation
in my living room. He took out the attic leaving a high cathedral
ceiling with the rafters and planks of wood visible. It looks like a ski
lodge. I think they're calling these houses "bungalofts" now or something.

There is no insulation. There are no roof or soffit vents.

It's a little rough keeping the room comfortable in winter, but with a
ceiling fan and a small space heater I get by.

In summer with the central AC it's also tough to keep the room cool, but
so far so good.

The main problem in summer is condensation. There is one small area on
my ceiling that drips water onto my floor (not much, but enough to be a
problem) but only when the sun is high/hot and the AC is on, especially
on the more humid days. The water seems to form around some of the
exposed nails/screws (probably holding down the shingles from outside)
in the ceiling.

The water is usually dark and oily looking which makes me wonder if it
really is condensation. It might be that water somehow gets under the
shingles when it rains but it doesn't get into the house until the sun
heats up the roof. But for now I'm working under the assumption that
it's just condensation. [Although, the last few days have been unusually
hot and humid and there has been no water dripping at all.]

So...If I had a vent on my roof the extreme hot air could escape in
summer, probably reducing or eliminating my condensation problem. But in
winter this vent would need to be closed.

Does anybody out there know of a roof vent that can be opened in summer
yet switched off in winter?

[I've got some problems with ice dams and water getting into the house
(in a different area of that ceiling, 2 areas actally) in winter too,
but that's for another thread I guess. Looks like I'll have a layer of
ice and water shield installed and maybe some heating cables on the roof.]

Nice looking reno...everybody loves the way my house looks, but a pain
in the ass.

Any thoughts, tips, advice, etc. appreciated.

--
Joey Goldstein
http://www.joeygoldstein.com
joegold AT sympatico DOT ca

I think you will be fighting a loosing battle. You need to keep the
underside of the roof the same temp as outside to avoid ice dams and
condensation on nail tips.

To properly solve the problem you will need to add ventilation at ridge and
soffit, build a small attic and insulate.

Your "attic" only needs to be a couple of inches high. Your ceiling could be
decorative and made to look like rafters and sheathing.

You could also build you attic on top of your existing roof if structure
would accommodate it.

"Joey Goldstein" wrote in message
...

The guy who owned my house before me did a very nice looking renovation
in my living room. He took out the attic leaving a high cathedral
ceiling with the rafters and planks of wood visible. It looks like a ski
lodge. I think they're calling these houses "bungalofts" now or something.

There is no insulation. There are no roof or soffit vents.

It's a little rough keeping the room comfortable in winter, but with a
ceiling fan and a small space heater I get by.

In summer with the central AC it's also tough to keep the room cool, but
so far so good.

The main problem in summer is condensation. There is one small area on
my ceiling that drips water onto my floor (not much, but enough to be a
problem) but only when the sun is high/hot and the AC is on, especially
on the more humid days. The water seems to form around some of the
exposed nails/screws (probably holding down the shingles from outside)
in the ceiling.

The water is usually dark and oily looking which makes me wonder if it
really is condensation. It might be that water somehow gets under the
shingles when it rains but it doesn't get into the house until the sun
heats up the roof. But for now I'm working under the assumption that
it's just condensation. [Although, the last few days have been unusually
hot and humid and there has been no water dripping at all.]

So...If I had a vent on my roof the extreme hot air could escape in
summer, probably reducing or eliminating my condensation problem. But in
winter this vent would need to be closed.

Does anybody out there know of a roof vent that can be opened in summer
yet switched off in winter?

[I've got some problems with ice dams and water getting into the house
(in a different area of that ceiling, 2 areas actally) in winter too,
but that's for another thread I guess. Looks like I'll have a layer of
ice and water shield installed and maybe some heating cables on the roof.]

Nice looking reno...everybody loves the way my house looks, but a pain
in the ass.

Any thoughts, tips, advice, etc. appreciated.

--
Joey Goldstein
http://www.joeygoldstein.com
joegold AT sympatico DOT ca

No wrote:

To properly solve the problem you will need to add ventilation at ridge and
soffit, build a small attic and insulate.

Thanks for the learned advice. I appreciate it.

But "properly" is a big word and an expensive one. g
What do you think the long-term ramifications are if I do *nothing*?

Will the ice dams get worse over time? Or does it just depend on the way
each winter season unfolds? My first winter here was fine.

I've been told that if I put down some "ice and water shield" that it is
highly unlikely that any water will get into the house in the event of
another ice dam. And installing some roof heating cables can reduce the
magnitude and effects of any more ice dams that occur. (Note: Part of
the ice dam problem is that my neighbor's house is so close to mine that
our eaves actually overlap a bit. This is the side that would get the
heating cables.)
Are these two measures worth doing, or am I just peeing into the wind?

Will the moisture from the condensation in summer create other problems
as the years go by?

--
Joey Goldstein
http://www.joeygoldstein.com
joegold AT sympatico DOT ca