DIY Attic Gable Fan Installation

Go into the attic and choose the location for the fan. It should be centered between two ceiling joists, toward the center of the attic and about two-thirds of the way from the bottom of the roof. Also, with a solar-powered fan, placing it on the south side of the roof provides it with more sunlight, and you want to keep it away from any area of the roof that is shaded to maximize its effectiveness.

Drive a nail through the roof where you're installing the fan.

Measure the inside diameter of the fan, then climb onto the roof and go to the area where the shingles have been raised from the nail.

Draw a circle on the roof that matches the diameter of the fan's inside edge. Draw the circle so that the nail is in the center.

Cut through the shingles along the circle with a utility knife, and pry them off of the roof with a pry bar.

Cut a hole in the roof with a reciprocating saw where you removed the shingles.

Lift the shingles around the edge of the hole up to loosen the nails, then remove the nails.

Seal the edge of the hole by applying roofing cement on top of the shingles around the hole. This helps attach the fan to the roof and provides a seal to prevent leaks.

Slide the flashing on top of the fan underneath the shingles on the top half of the circle. The flashing is the flat metal edge around the fan.

Apply a thick bead of roofing cement between the shingles and flashing and press them together. Secure the fan to the roof by driving galvanized screws through the flashing and into the roof.

Apply caulk to the top of the screws and the edge of the flashing to prevent leaks.

Drive roofing nails through the shingles to replace the nails that you removed.