Built-in Ventilation

The Ecoshel Cedar Shingle System includes ventilation ridges on the back of the shingles that provide a slight space between overlapping shingles, and between shingles and the housewrap or underlayment. This built-in ventilation prevents moisture related mold and decay fungi in several ways:

• Provides a capillary break between shingle layers, and between the shingles and the housewrap, preventing trapped moisture from soaking inward to the sheathing.
• Provides airflow between shingle layers, which promotes drying and reduces warping.
• Prevents contact between the housewrap and extractives in the shingles, which degrade the water repellency of some housewraps.
• Prevents windblown precipitation from moving sideways, between shingles layers, to underlying joints.
• Eliminates the need for other costly and problematic ventilation methods:

The Ecoshel System provides a rain-screen type system, that is continuously ventilated throughout the entire surface, without adding significant thickness.

The use of lath or mesh behind shingles, or other siding, creates an air space, NOT ventilation. A dead air space can cause additional moisture problems as trapped warm, humid air cools and condenses, or is pressurized by heat from the sun, and diffuses through the vapor permeable housewrap. Installing vents that are large enough to adequately ventilate this type of air space is not practical, and the additional thickness of the air space and vents creates problems with door and window jambs, flashing, and trim work.