The building envelope that forms residential housing is somewhat akin to a living organism. It requires energy to maintain and has an outer skin to protect the interior from the elements. The analogy to an organism isn’t so farfetched that we can’t also discuss the maladies that can afflict the building envelope. In the case of the roof and attic, these “maladies” include ice damming and moisture build-up.

There are a few strategies for dealing with ventilation in an attic. They include soffit-ridge ventilation, cool-colored shingles, sealed attic systems, radiant barriers, above-sheathing ventilation, and breathable underlayments to manage moisture. Which of these is the best to use?