How to Install a Solar Attic Fan

with General contractor Tom Silva, This Old House television

Shopping List

Supplies You Will Need

1. Solar-powered roof vent

2. Hardwood dowel and 1 5/8-inch decking screws,
for making a compass for marking the vent hole on roof

3. Roof brackets and planks,
used to provide secure place to stand on roof

4. Fall-arrest system, used to prevent falls from roof

5. 1 ½-inch roofing nails, for nailing down roof shingles

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Tools List
Tools You Will Need
- Hammer
- Flat pry bar,
  used to remove roof shingles
- Utility knife,
  used to cut roof shingles
- Reciprocating saw,
  used to cut hole in roof
- Drill/driver
- Caulking gun
  with tri-polymer roofing cement
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In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva explains how to keep your attic cool with a fan activated by the sun.

Steps:

1 In attic, mark location of solar-powered vent between two roof rafters.
2 Drive nail through center of vent location.
3 Install roof brackets and fall-arrest system to roof.
4 Scribe outline of vent’s flashing on roof using homemade dowel compass.
5 Cut shingles along circular outline with a utility knife.
6 Pull nails and remove shingles from within the circle.
7 Use compass to scribe hole for vent onto roof sheathing.
8 Cut hole in roof with a reciprocating saw.
9 Remove shingles from around the vent opening.
10 Apply continuous bead of tri-polymer roofing cement around hole.
11 Set roof vent over hole, then screw the fan’s flashing to roof.
12 Apply more caulking around flashing.
13 Replace all the roof shingles around the vent fan with 1 ½-inch roofing nails.