How Hot Should Attic Soffit Vents Restricted

And it can cause your air conditioner to work harder than it needs to and send your energy bills soaring with the temperature.

How hot should attic soffit vents restricted.

The next area of ventilation that makes an impact on your attic s temperature are the intake vents or soffit vents. These vents are located at the underside of your roof the edge of the home. Almost all homes are fitted with some kind of roof vents at the peak of the roofline be it individual roof vents hip roof ventilation and many homes have gable vents as well. Even if you have vents in your roof you still need to have soffit vents to allow the air to circulate naturally.

A soffit vent is simply a vent installed into the underside of your home s eaves called the soffit that permits fresh outside air to be drawn up into the attic. If you don t know how your roof vents work or if you re unsure about your attic ventilation in general you should talk to a roof inspector about your current system and any inherent weaknesses that may be at. It begins with soffit vents that inhale outside air necessary to create an airflow that moves warm attic air out the roof vents. Use a cordless drill driver to secure the vent to the soffit with in long no.

With the help of an assistant raise the vent up to the soffit and center it over the cutout slot. Soffit vents are vital in keeping air flowing throughout your attic space. If the home already has a fan roof vents or gable vents these should be blocked and sealed from the attic side of the home. There are a number of different types of vents to choose from so getting the ones to suit you should not be difficult although you will still need to work out how many to purchase.

Your vents should be larger if you have a large attic and thus your vents can be smaller if you have a smaller attic. Dwight barnett is a certified master inspector with the american. Step 5 attach the vent to the soffit photo by merle henkenius. Once the air enters the soffit it usually proceeds through an air chute or some other opening along the underside of the roof into the attic where it helps push warm attic air out the roof vents see how attic.

An overheated attic can bake asphalt shingles on the roof and cause them to deteriorate. Most effective ventilation uses a ridge and soffit continuous ventilation system but even these designs can vary from roof to roof. Hot air exhaust vents located at the peak of the roof allow hot air to escape. An unventilated attic can reach 150 degrees in the heat of summer 50 degrees higher than it should be.

Taking advantage of this natural process referred to as passive ventilation is the most common way to vent an attic.