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HOODMART BLOG

Everything Above the Ceiling: What Actually Happens After Your Hood Connects to the Roof
• August 14, 2026
Categories: Ductwork
The exhaust hood gets all the attention. It's visible, it's stainless, it's the thing your health inspector walks toward first. But the components that determine whether your commercial kitchen ventilation system actually works — the ones that move air, seal against weather, and keep grease out of places it has no business being — are largely invisible. They live above your ceiling, on your roof, and inside your walls.
This is the part of the installation most restaurant owners never see and rarely think about until something goes wrong. Here's what's actually up there, why it matters, and what you need to know before your contractor starts cutting holes in your roof.
Why Rooftop Ventilation Is Where Commercial Hood Installations Succeed or Fail
A perfectly specified exhaust hood connected to a poorly designed rooftop system will underperform, fail inspection, or both. The above-ceiling components — the exhaust duct, the MUA duct, the roof curbs, the exhaust fans, and the elbows connecting them — are where CFM calculations meet real-world building constraints, and where the gap between a smooth installation and a six-week delay tends to open up.
Understanding this portion of your commercial kitchen ventilation system isn't just useful. For anyone managing a build-out or renovation, it's essential.
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How a Commercial Hood System Actually Works, From Grease Cup to Rooftop Fan
• August 10, 2026
Categories: Hoods
How a Commercial Hood System Actually Works, From Grease Cup to Rooftop Fan Most commercial kitchen owners can point to their exhaust hood. Far fewer can explain what happens between the moment smoke leaves the fryer and the moment it exits the buil...

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Step-By-Step Guide For Professional Exhaust Hood Cleaning
• August 06, 2026
Categories: Hoods
Commercial Hood Cleaning: Step-by-Step Guide to Professional Exhaust Hood Cleaning Regular exhaust hood cleaning is critical for maintaining a safe, efficient, and code-compliant commercial kitchen. While daily and weekly cleaning helps control grea...

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ETL vs UL Listed: What’s the Difference in Commercial Kitchen Equipment?
• August 03, 2026
Categories: Hoods
When selecting commercial kitchen equipment, safety certifications matter. Two of the most common are UL Listed and ETL Certified, but what do they actually mean, and is one better than the other? Here’s a clear breakdown of commercial kitchen ...

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Round vs Rectangular Exhaust Hood Duct Systems
• July 30, 2026
Categories: Ductwork
Round vs. Rectangular Exhaust Hood Duct Systems When building or upgrading a commercial kitchen, ventilation design is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. While selecting the right hood system is critical, the ductwork behind it p...

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