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.
