How to Install a Gable-Mounted Attic Fan

If you've ever ventured into your attic on a hot summer day, you know that it can get extremely hot. Most attics have ventilation provided by a ridge vent along the peak of the roof and soffit vents placed along the eaves, but that doesn't always provide enough relief. Mounting an attic fan on your gable roof can provide additional ventilation. Using a solar-powered fan can save you costs on both electricity and hiring an electrician to wire the fan into your home's electrical system.

Hammer
Nails
Ladder
Tape measure
Utility knife
Pry bar
Reciprocating saw
Roofing cement
Drill
Galvanized screws
Caulk
Roofing nails

Instructions

- 1
  Go into the attic and drive a nail through the roof where you're installing the fan. Center the nail between two roof rafters.
- 2
  Go up to the rooftop and locate the nail. Look for the raised shingles.
- 3
  Draw a circle onto the roof that is centered over the nail and matches the inside edge of the fan.
- 4
  Remove the shingles from the roof by cutting them along the circle with a utility knife and prying them off the roof with a pry bar.
- 5
  Cut a hole in the roof inside the area you removed the shingles from with a reciprocating saw.
- 6
  Remove the nails from the shingles located around the hole.
- 7
  Spread roofing cement onto the shingles around the edge of the hole to help prevent leaks and secure the fan on the roof.
- 8
  Place the fan into position on the roof so that the flashing slides under the shingles on the top half of the circle. The flashing is the flat metal part around the fan.
- 9
  Place a thick bead of roofing cement between the shingles and the flashing, then screw the flashing to the roof with galvanized screws.
- 10
  Cover the edge of the flashing and the top of the screws with caulk.
- 11
  Nail the shingles around the fan to the roof where you removed them.

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