Attic Air Flow Soffit

Proper air circulation through the attic space helps lower cooling bills and prolongs the life of roofing materials.

Attic air flow soffit.

During the summer soffit and gable vents draw cooler air from outside the house to replace hot air that collects in. With vented soffit air can flow through the vents to provide regular air circulation to your attic. If the attic is insulated with fiberglass batts just pull back any that are blocking the flow of air. 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.

An attic s intake vents are most commonly installed directly in the soffit either as individual vents spaced every few feet or as one continuous perforated soffit running the entire length of. Fans and vents may be installed on the roof system that will draw the air out of the. Whole house fans powered attic fans. Begin by making sure your existing system works photos 1 and 3 plugging major air leaks into the attic photo 2 and correcting any other of the common causes of poor attic venting.

If your attic is well insulated the insulation might be plugging the spaces between rafters just above exterior walls. Water is insulation s enemy. Proper air circulation in the attic is all about preventing moisture buildup. If those steps don t solve the problem add more soffit vents following the techniques we show in photos 4 17.

Air flow is tremendously important for your entire home. It creates a breeding ground for mold and mildew and ruins the air trapping pockets that block heat flow. Box out light fixtures. The solution is to add baffles which allow air to flow past the insulation photo 9.

In addition insulation baffles must be installed at the point where the attic floor meets the roofline to prevent the attic insulation from migrating into the cavities and restricting the airflow from the soffit vents. That means air can t flow from the soffit vents to the roof vents. If you have lanced style vents like the vented soffit we offer our customers you can achieve proper air flow while limiting the moisture that can enter through the vents. Look for water stains on the roof sheathing or damp or moldy spots on attic joists and existing insulation as a clue to where leaks might be.

Baffles are available at home centers. Attic fans are intended to cool hot attics by drawing in cooler outside air from attic vents soffit and gable and pushing hot air to the outside.