How do you install soffit vents

Soffit vents come in several sizes and styles, including small round discs and rectangular grilles. We opted for aluminum strip vents that measure 3 in. This style vent provides a quick way to ventilate every rafter bay. Start by using a chalk reel to snap two parallel lines down the center of the soffit.

Space the lines 2 in. Then set your circular saw to that depth and cut along the chalk lines. Cut the two parallel lines with a portable circular saw. Set the blade depth to cut through the thin soffit material barely. When you near the end of the soffit, stop short and connect the two cuts with a sharp chisel or sabre saw. Once all cuts are made, use a thin pry bar to remove the 2-in. Pull any nails that remain in the soffit framing with a cat's paw.

Then inspect the length of the vent cutout. If there's any insulation clogging the slot, pull it out or shove it back up. Space the holes 12 to 14 in. With the help of an assistant, raise the vent up to the soffit and center it over the cutout slot.

Continue installing additional strip vents until you reach the far end. Trim the last vent to length using aviation snips. The soffit vents are now installed, but you still need to make sure there's no insulation blocking the new vents. 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.

Finally, to ensure that the airway to the vent remains open, staple a ventilation baffle to the plywood sheathing in each rafter bay. For most of us, the attic is a place to store clothes, luggage, and old family photos, but for energy researchers, it's a hot topic of discussion. Building codes have called for increased attic insulation in the last several decades. Most experts contend that a well-ventilated attic keeps the house more comfortable in summer and guards against moist, heated air building up in winter.

There are also dissenting voices who say that the benefits of ventilation are overrated. For instance, attic ventilation is used widely in cold climates to evacuate the warm, moist air that escapes from the living space below. If this air lingers, it can condense on the underside of the roof sheathing and rot it. These vents make your home breathable and provide air circulation to your attic. Use your vent as a template, and mark out the edges and corners with a pencil or marker on the soffit.

How to install soffit vents make two parallel lines. These type allow cooler denser air to enter the attic space through the lowest point and are often slotted or meshed to keep critters out. How do you install soffit vents? In addition, of course, you will need to purchase the vents you plan to install. Attach the vent to the soffit. Ideally, half the vents should be located in the soffit at the bottom of the roof and half in gable or ridge vents near the top to allow for natural circulation of air through the attic.

Use a stud finder to locate the rafters, because you don't want to cut into these. If you are a seasoned diyer, expect the installation to take about two hours.

First, you want to know where to install soffit vents. 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. In this how to video we show you how.

When you have cut a hole in the roof, simply place the vent over the hole. Using galvanized screws, screw it firmly in place. When it comes down to installing continuous soffit vents to increase the ventilation in your home, you need to start out by marking the vents, cutting the appropriate holes, and then adding the vents. Raise the vent up to the soffit. Center each soffit vent over the hole and parallel to the eaves with the vent louvers facing in toward the house before you screw each vent to the soffit board.

Not only are the openings too small to pass enough air obstructed further by the louvers and insect screens , intermittent soffit intake vents or little round or rectangular soffit spot vents are. The soffit vent is designed to be used as a retrofit for existing homes or for new construction. Soffit helps your home achieve the right amount of airflow circulation without allowing moisture to accumulate around the beams and interior elements of your home.

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