Do You Have to Have a Vent In a Shed With a Radiant Barrier Roof?

Ventilation Benefits

• Adding ventilation to a shed, regardless of the type of roof it has, can deliver two key benefits. The first is regulating the temperature inside the shed by allowing hot air to escape. Vents located near the top of the walls will allow hot air out as it rises and expands when sunlight heats the shed from outside. The other benefit of ventilation is moisture control. Vents in a shed allow warm, moist air out. This keeps stored items dry, which is one of the reasons for building a shed in the first place.

Radiant Barrier Roof Effects

• Radiant barrier roofing uses foil-lined panels that reflect heat and prevent it from entering a structure through the roof. In your home, radiant barrier roofing can reduce your home cooling costs and keep your attic at a reasonable temperature in the summer. In a shed, radiant barrier roofing serves the same function, reflecting heat and lowering the overall temperature inside. Radiant barrier roofing does not address the issue of moisture buildup the way vents in a shed do.

Other Factors

• Even with a radiant barrier roof, a shed may need ventilation. If the shed has large walls that the sun strikes directly, the interior may heat up quickly despite a roof that reflects heat. In some climates, high summer heat and humidity mean that radiant barrier roofs aren't enough to cool sheds. In cooler climates, or when sheds have insulated walls and don't receive much direct sunlight, a radiant barrier roof may be all that is needed to cool the space.

Choosing to Ventilate

• The choice to ventilate your shed depends on your climate, the shed's position and the way you use it. For example, a storage shed can be hotter than a large shed that you use as a workshop and spend several hours in at a time. The two major options for shed vents are simple ventilation panels, which feature angled slats that keep rain out but allow heat to escape, and fan systems that require electrical hookups but actively expel hot air out through a vent when switched on.