Attic Insulation Blocking Soffit Vents

Never cover attic soffit vents with insulation use rafter vents and soffit vents to maintain airflow.

Attic insulation blocking soffit vents.

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. Someone added a ridge vent. So i see this 1946 house here in fl today. If the attic is insulated with fiberglass batts just pull back any that are blocking the flow of air.

Perforated soffit vents over solid wood. It s a very small house barely 1200 sq ft. Covering up the soffit vents with loose fill or batts which can happen if you stuff insulation along the eaves is a huge no no. The soffit vents are now installed but you still need to make sure there s no insulation blocking the new vents.

I presume that it has the soffit vents but after being in the attic i see that the insulation is blocking the soffit. Unblocking wood blocked soffits is labor intensive i ve done it we either remove the blocking entirely or cut most of it away followed by providing soffit intake venting and using baffles as needed to avoid blocking the openings with insulation. Homeowners can too easily inadvertently block them when insulating the attic. Baffle allows airflow and prevents insulation from blocking airflow.

The insulation will resist heat transfer into the house. Alternatively use two half sheets of 3 4 inch. Here are some examples of blocked intake venting in an attic. While effective at pulling in cooler air the biggest problem posed by this type of soffit vents is their positioning.

Set the baffles inside the attic opening along with a loaded staple gun. You need one baffle for each. How to keep blow in insulation out of soffits. The most common mistake homeowners make when installing insulation is to block the flow of air at the eaves.

Some homeowners and even some insulation installers love to stuff insulation. Many older homes have had exterior siding and soffit coverings installed. Accuvent original attic soffit vent systems fits 14 5 inch x 41 inch soffit areas 16 o c. Lay strips of 3 4 inch plywood that are at least 24 inches wide across the floor of the attic.

If you see insulation unscrew the vent covers with a screwdriver and push it toward the center of the attic space. Insulation stuffed into building eaves. The airflow from the soffits to the ridge vent keeps the roof cool and prevents ice dams and the material will block that flow. For the same reason insulation shouldn t touch the roof s underside.