Pole Barn Attic Ventilation

Mike the pole barn guru responds.

Pole barn attic ventilation.

Ridge vent without soffit vent one of the most overlooked areas of pole building construction is proper ventilation. Additional doors and windows will both help increase the general flow of air through your pole barn. Place them in ways that allow air to enter and exit in a clear path to maximize the movement of air. Don t skip features that can increase airflow.

When this warmer air contacts cold surfaces in your pole barn condensation forms since the air loses its ability to retain as much moisture. A literal example of this is that 45 air can hold 1 3 the water vapor that 75 air can. Pole barn insulation is a core part of temperature control and ventilation. The international building codes require any dead attic space to be ventilated.

Attic vent fans can be hard wired and equipped with a thermostat and or humidity sensor so they automatically cut on at a preset moisture level or temperature. The primary purpose of pole barn ventilation is to prevent condensation moisture build up. Condensation occurs when warm moisture laden air contacts a cooler surface such as the underside of your roof steel. Warm air has the ability to hold more moisture than cold air.

To understand how proper ventilation works here s the anatomy of a basic passive pole barn ventilation system. Lack of proper pole building ventilation becomes even a greater issue when an enclosed attic space is present. Since lower temperature air cannot hold as much moisture as warmer air the excess humidity turns into water droplets. The process starts with warm moist air rising inside your pole barn.