Your attic hits 150 degrees in a Riverside summer. That heat bakes your shingles from below, spikes your AC bill, and traps moisture that rots your roof deck. Proper ventilation fixes all three.
Building code requires 1 square foot of net free ventilation area for every 150 square feet of attic floor. Most homes built before 2000 in the Inland Empire fall short of that number. The result is an attic that functions like an oven: superheated air with nowhere to go, baking your shingles from below and forcing your air conditioner to work overtime against a ceiling radiating stored heat.
Gary has climbed into thousands of Riverside attics. The pattern is always the same. Inadequate soffit intake, blocked or missing ridge vents, and sometimes the original builder installed vents that look correct from the outside but are sealed behind drywall or insulation on the inside. A ventilation assessment from Thompson Roofing identifies exactly what your attic needs and eliminates the guesswork.
Ridge vents run along the peak of your roof, allowing the hottest air to escape at the highest point. They are nearly invisible from the ground and create continuous exhaust across the entire ridgeline. For most pitched roofs in Riverside, ridge vents are the most effective exhaust solution because they distribute airflow evenly instead of concentrating it at a few spots.
Intake vents at the eaves pull cooler outside air into the bottom of the attic. Without adequate soffit intake, ridge vents and fans cannot draw air through the attic space. Gary checks every soffit vent to make sure it is not blocked by insulation, paint, or debris. In many older homes, the original soffit vents were small circular plugs that provide a fraction of the airflow needed for modern standards.
Powered attic fans and solar-powered ventilators provide active exhaust for homes where passive ventilation alone cannot keep up. Solar-powered models are especially practical in Riverside because there is no shortage of sun to drive them. They are ideal for hip roofs, complex rooflines, and attics that lack adequate ridge length for passive venting.
In Southern California's climate, a properly ventilated attic can reduce cooling costs noticeably. When trapped heat radiates through your ceiling into living spaces, your AC runs longer and harder to compensate. Ventilation breaks that cycle. It also extends shingle life by reducing the temperature differential that causes premature granule loss and curling from the underside.
Every ventilation project starts with measurement and ends with verification. No guesswork.
Gary climbs into your attic to measure current ventilation area, check for blocked vents, inspect decking condition, and note insulation placement. He brings a temperature gun to document heat levels.
We calculate your attic square footage and determine the net free area needed. Then we design a balanced system with proper intake-to-exhaust ratio so air actually flows instead of short-circuiting.
Ridge vents, soffit vents, or powered fans are installed with proper flashing and weatherproofing. Every cut is sealed to prevent water entry. We integrate new ventilation with your existing roof system.
After installation, we verify airflow through the system and confirm that intake and exhaust are balanced. Gary walks you through the attic to show exactly what changed and why it matters.
Gary has inspected thousands of Inland Empire attics and knows the common builder shortcuts in every decade of construction. He spots blocked vents, sealed soffits, and undersized exhaust that most HVAC techs walk right past.
Ventilation is part of the roof system. Cutting ridge vents or adding penetrations without understanding flashing, underlayment, and water flow creates new leak points. A roofer installs ventilation correctly because the consequences of getting it wrong land on his shoulders.
If your ventilation is adequate, Gary tells you. He does not sell powered fans to attics that just need unblocked soffit vents. If a $200 fix solves the problem, that is what he recommends, even when a $2,000 option exists.
A free ventilation assessment tells you exactly where your attic stands. No pressure, no upsells.
Call Gary or fill out the form for a free attic ventilation assessment. He will tell you exactly what your home needs, nothing more.
