Soffit Vent Attic Insulation

Here s how to keep the air moving with soffit vents.

Soffit vent attic insulation.

A well ventilated attic offers four benefits. It prevents mildew growth and rot on your roof s framing and sheathing by. Clear loose fill insulation from inside the attic by pulling it off the vent covers and making piles on the attic side of the vents. How to keep blow in insulation out of soffits 1.

This phenomenon known as wind washing dramatically reduces the insulation s r value and could permanently damage insulation material as well. Attic ventilation works on the principle that heated air naturally rises primarily utilizing two types of vents. You need one baffle for each of the soffit. If the attic is insulated with fiberglass batts just pull back any that are blocking the flow of air.

Attic ventilation is critical to the health of your house. Intake vents located at the lowest part of the roof under the eaves allow cool. Butt a cardboard template against the fascia and mark your soffit hole locations to begin. The airflow from the soffits to the ridge vent keeps the roof cool and prevents ice dams and the material will block that flow.

There should be no insulation within 3 inches of the vent. The problem with insulation extending into the soffits is that air getting sucked in through the soffit vents runs over the insulation. Lay strips of 3 4 inch plywood that are at least 24 inches wide across the floor of the attic. You should clean soffit eave and other types of attic air intake vents at least every couple of years if not annually.

For the same reason insulation shouldn t touch the roof s underside. About attic ventilation natural attic ventilation. Add soffit venting first. The attic roof vent baffles baffles hold the insulation away from the roof deck to permit air to enter the attic or under roof space.

At first it may seem odd to add insulation for warmth and then purposely allow cold air to. We use this same design under roofs that cover cathedral ceilings but on occasion find that more air space and air flow up under the roof sheathing are needed in those structures. If there s blown in insulation like ours rake back the fluffy stuff with a 3 or 4 ft long 1 x 6 or use a garden rake or hoe. Attic fans are intended to cool hot attics by drawing in cooler outside air from attic vents.

The soffit vents are now installed but you still need to make sure there s no insulation blocking the new vents.