How to Vent a Shed or Garage

Does the shed behind your house or your garage build up immense heat during the warm days of spring and summer? Extreme heat is common in any space that in un-vented and exposed to direct sunlight. During the hottest part of the day temperature inside your shed or garage can swell above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Not only is extreme heat bad for car or lawnmower storage, but aerosol cans exposed to high temperatures can explode too. When the sun hits the roof it just builds up all day if it has no escape, but there are a few good venting solutions that work. Instead of leaving the door open inviting animals and strangers inside, you could spend a couple of hours installing a venting system.

Using simple hand tools and a power saw you can complete the entire ventilation in a couple of hours by yourself. The first thing you should do is ventilate the roof. You are going to do this by cutting a series of vents near the ridge on the top of the roof. Once you have completed the cuts fit the openings with proper vent covers that protect your shed or garage from rain and other weather. You can buy the vents at any home supply store but you may have to order ahead, so call first. Now the hot air has a way to escape.

If you prefer not to cut a bunch of holes you can simplify the process by installing a continuous ridge vent. This vent only requires one large space for it occupancy instead of a bunch of small vents. When you have finished installing vents in the roof you are not done, you have to also install vents along the lower base wall. This kind of ventilation works best if you do one on each side of the shed, at both the top and the bottom. Again, when this is finished fit the holes with the proper fitting vents. When this is finished you will have a natural air flow system in your building. Cool air comes in at the bottom and the hot air escapes from the top. This kind of vent system works especially well on windy days and not so well on days that the wind never seems to move.

If you are storing a classic car or dangerous chemicals that shouldn’t be exposed to heat and you are seeking a more reliable method of ventilation than you can install a power vent system. If you have electric in your shed or garage you can have a steady airflow as long as the fans are running. Most electric vents come with a large fan that is installed at the back of the building, usually close to the roof with a control switch and timer. But running the fan all day, during the hottest part of the day, can use a lot of energy throughout the spring and summer. Installing a temperature control sensor will help cut down on the amount of energy you are using with the power vent system.

If you are very conservative about using unsustainable energy, you can also try a solar powered roof vent. This vent is installed like any other, but the power comes from a photovoltaic panel, facing sunward on the roof. When using solar power the vent fan only runs when the sun is shinning on the panel, which is usually during the hottest part of the day. This type of system doesn’t store excess energy, but you usually do not need the exhaust fan at night anyway.