When we were looking at townhouses last week, we saw a variety of "creative" dryer vents. Virtually every building code addresses clothes dryer exhausting. The codes mandate that dryer exhaust needs to be ducted outdoors. Terminating the exhaust pipe near an attic vent does not meet this requirement.
Clothes dryer exhaust can cause major problems within a house. One is a fire hazard due to the massive quantities of exposed fabric lint dust. An open flame could turn your attic into an inferno within seconds. The dryer also pumps a large amount of humid air into the attic with each load of laundry that is dried. This warm, moist air is exactly the tropical climate that mildew loves.
Interior vent kits do not meet most model building codes and they inject large amounts of humid air into your home. Condensation on windows, within exterior walls, and in attics can result from this method of dryer venting. This trapped moisture can cause wood rot and mildew problems.
Dryer venting is not as simple as it seems. The blower motor within a dryer can only push the moist air so far. If you exceed this limit, the dryer will not dry clothes properly and the vent piping can clog easily with lint. The exhaust hood design, the type of exhaust pipe used (smooth metal vent vs. corrugated/flexible metal pipe), and the number of bends in the exhaust piping create friction that slows the air leaving your dryer. Smooth metal vent pipe and exterior exhaust hoods that have openings of sixteen square inches or more offer the least resistance to air flow.
You can vent a dryer through a roof if you use the correct exhaust hood. The best hoods are one piece and contain wide flanges that permit a leak proof installation under common asphalt shingles.
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