Frankincense? Myrrh? Sandalwood? - Easy attic ventilation field test

Incense can help you quickly see if air is moving through an attic ventilation system.

By Andy Swan, Roof Saver.

You’ve read all the literature, attended seminars on attic ventilation system design, building code requirements and feel you have a good working knowledge of the physics and technology.  So how are you testing the system you just installed?  Can you quickly troubleshoot stagnant air issues?

One method to see if air is moving through the vent system is to use an incense stick.  Light the incense, let the smoke rise and watch what happens as you slowly walk the incense along the length of the attic.  Does the smoke continue to rise up and out of the attic through the ridge vent?  Are there dead zones in the attic?  Does smoke move upward when the incense is held near the soffit intake?

If the incense smoke is stagnant or drops to the floor of the attic you’ll need to determine whether the intake or exhaust is the choke point.  Air inside the attic will not exhaust out of the ridge if there is insufficient intake or exhaust.  If the installed system is short on intake but has plenty of exhaust at the ridge you may find that adding intake vents is required.  As we have written earlier, the Building Code for attic ventilation systems was revised in 2012 to require more intake as a % of total Net Free Area. We have a great planning guide to download to help you through the process.

My personal preference is sandalwood but I’ll leave the choice to you. Just don’t burn the place down.

Andy Swan is president of Blocksom and Co., manufacturer of Roof Saver Ridge Vent. For more information on Roof Saver visit www.roofsaver.com.