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Q: I’m building a porch with a hip roof and a solid ceiling. Without soffit vents or roof vents will the roof get hot enough to shorten the life of the asphalt shingles? Are there any other reasons to vent a porch roof?
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Q: I am trying to plan the best way to ventilate a hipped roof above an attic. Since the ridge is very short, ridge venting is not an option. I was planning to install powered exhaust ventilation. How should I size the fan?
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Q: Nine years ago I built a new house on a slab foundation. We put in a forced-air heating system, and the hvac contractor ran the ducts under the slab. The house is on a lake, and during certain times of year rising ground water enters the ducts. We
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Q: I am improving the attic ventilation in a 30-year-old two-story house in Virginia. My plan is to install soffit vents and insulation baffles. The attic has gable vents with thermostatically controlled fans. Do I have to install a ridge vent, or are the
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Q: A homeowner wants me to eliminate the moldy smell from a crawlspace. The crawlspace has a concrete floor, with fiberglass batt insulation between the floor joists. There are two louvered vents that are left open year-round. Would it help to insulate the walls with rigid foam and seal the vents...
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Q: I would like to install insulation and drywall to finish off a poured-concrete basement wall. Although the basement is high and dry, with no signs of moisture problems, I’m still concerned about condensation. I’d like to know where to install the vapor barrier, if any, and whether there is any...
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Q: Puzzled by conflicting energy advice? We asked our panel experts to help out by summarizing the latest thinking on a number of thorny issues.
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Despite rumors to the contrary, vapor barriers are just as important as ever, says guest columnist Bill Rose.