What is a whirlybird — and do you still install them?

Yes — and we’d push back a little on the assumption that whirlybirds are outdated. When they’re the right product for the application, they’re genuinely excellent.

A whirlybird — properly called a turbine vent — is a rotating exhaust vent that uses wind energy to draw air out of the attic. As wind passes over the turbine, the fins spin and create a vacuum that pulls attic air out through the vent. No electricity, no moving parts that require power, just physics.

Here’s the detail most people don’t know — one whirlybird is the equivalent of approximately five box vents in terms of exhaust capacity. That means fewer penetrations in your roof to potentially cause leaks, and more exhaust performance per opening. On the right roof, that’s a meaningful advantage.

We install Lomanco turbines exclusively. Lomanco has been manufacturing ventilation products for decades — it’s the only thing they make, and they’ve refined it to an exceptional standard. Their turbines carry a lifetime guarantee. We stock them in our office because local suppliers typically don’t carry them, and we install them positioned to be hidden by the rooflines where possible so they don’t dominate the appearance of the roof.

The honest answer on whirlybirds vs. other exhaust options is that the right vent depends on the roof — its configuration, its pitch, its attic square footage, and what intake ventilation is available. What we don’t do is default to whatever’s cheapest or easiest to source. We specify what’s right for each roof.