How to install soffit vents

As the air in the attic heats up, it rises, drawing cool air in the soffit vents at the bottom and exiting through the gable, roof, or ridge vents at the top. Earlier have this question just about nailed down. You need vents at the soffit and at the roof level.

Since hot air rises, the soffit vents allow cooler air to enter then rise and exit through the roof or gable vents. The venting action keeps moisture from building up in your attic. For proper ventilation on a house, eave or soffit vents are needed to allow air flow and lower energy costs.

If you are a seasoned DIYer, expect the installation to take about two hours. Continue installing additional strip vents until you reach the far end. Trim the last vent to length using aviation snips. The open area of a vent is sometimes listed on the roof air vent as NFVA (net free vent area).

If not, measure the size yourself. Roof vents will provide about half of the vent area and soffit vents the other half. Adding soffit vents introduces cool, fresh air to your attic as hot air escapes from the top of the attic through ridge vents , attic fans or gable vents. This project is easy to handle yourself and will help bring down the cooling costs for your home.

Measure the area where you want to install the. Continuous ventilation systems with ridge and soffit vents keep attics dry. Learn how to plan ventilation for your attic and how to install soffit vents and other attic venting systems. The soffit vents provide intake and the others provide exhaust. Round soffit vents are easy to install , much easier than rectangular vents or soffit strips, although they do not let in the same amount of air.

The under-eave soffit conceals the rafter tails and gives the roof a finished look. In new construction, builders often install continuous perforated soffit vents that allow fresh air to. The change is temperature and humidity require a lot of movement of air in. Chances are you already have most of them in your toolbox: chalk, a circular saw or saber saw, nails or screws, and a hammer or drill. To install soffit vents , you will need a few basic tools.

In addition, of course, you will need to purchase the vents you plan to install. A soffit vent clogged with insulation serves no purpose. Grab a light, a dust mask, goggles and climb on into the attic. Inspect the area from the exterior wall plate to the fascia. If you find any insulation on the soffit overhang it needs to be removed.

You have determined how much ventilation you need and have. Go back into the attic and install the inside part of the soffit vent. Be sure to place it around the surrounding rafters to keep it secured.

There are two things that you can do to better secure the vent so that it doesn’t fall through the ceiling. Most homes already have soffit vents. They conduct outside air into the attic to help prevent ice dams in the winter and keep attics cool in the summer.

It’s best to remove existing vent covers for freer airflow before installing ventilated soffit panels. The new soffit vent will positioned between the roof rafters and lookouts. I took measurements inside the attic using the rectangular soffit vent in the adjacent rafter bay as my reference. Metal or vinyl soffits also come as solid panels or perforated to provide ventilation.

Soffit materials may be vinyl, metal or wood. It protects the underside of eaves and porch ceilings and can provide a hidden vent system. Hot air rises and escapes through the ridge vents while cooler air is drawn in through the lower soffit vents , creating a natural convection that circulates the air and cools the space.

Then use the instructions for open eaves. If you’re installing perforated soffit panels and the existing soffit doesn’t have openings for ventilation , cut an adequate number of openings. Then complete the installation as described for open eaves.

In order for attic ventilation to be effective, you must have equal intake and exhaust vents. Therefore, for every soffit vent installed you will have to install a roof vent , or install a ridge vent. The idea is that the soffit vents allow cool fresh air into your attic while the roof vents exhaust the hot humid air. This article describes how to properly inspect, place, and size ventilation air intakes at the lower edges of a building roof - its soffit , or eaves. Here are the DIY Basics for installing soffitt vents.

The additional vent assists with circulating the air, which helps the fan do its job. In most cases, a do-it-yourself enthusiast can install the vent in. Installing a soffit vent is not difficult.