Installing Attic Soffit Vents

Step 5 attach the vent to the soffit photo by merle henkenius.

Installing attic soffit vents.

They are easy to install under the roof s overhang which is known as the soffit are generally hidden from sight and provide excellent protection from weather outdoor debris and pests while still allowing air to flow into the attic. Space soffit vents evenly around the bottom of the low sides of your roof. Soffit eave vents work in conjunction with gable roof or ridge vents to provide a natural flow of air through your attic. Soffit vents are one of the most popular intake vent styles.

Smaller on each side than the vent you re installing. For example a vent with a 6 x12 opening would equal 0 5 sq. Continuous or individual soffits. With the help of an assistant raise the vent up to the soffit and center it over the cutout slot.

Touch your ceiling on a warm sunny day. A hot ceiling tells you that the attic is acting like a solar oven raising your cooling bills and. Butt a cardboard template against the fascia and mark your soffit hole locations to begin soffit vent installation. Rafter vents ensure the soffit vents are clear and there is a channel for outside air to move into the attic at the soffits and out through the gable or ridge vent.

Use a cordless drill and a spade bit to drill the holes into the wood. If your attic doesn t have proper ventilation the best way to increase the flow of fresh air through your attic is by adding vents to the soffit boards on the bottom of your eaves. Drill holes into the soffit the lower surface of the eaves will need to be cut into using a jigsaw or keyhole saw. Look at your eaves and roof.

Use a cordless drill driver to secure the vent to the soffit with in long no. Rafter vents come in 4 foot lengths and 14 1 2 and 22 1 2 inch widths for different rafter spacings. If you widen existing holes widen them toward the fascia but no closer than 3 in. Installation of this type of attic ventilation involves leaving a gap in the sheathing along the ridge and covering it with a perforated vent.

Your roof vents may not look. From the fascia to avoid waves and ripples in the soffit plywood. Static vents often protrude from roofline thanks to. Continue installing additional strip vents until you reach the far end.

If you don t see any attic vents on the roof or in the eaves you need to add some. Make the vent hole 1 2 in.