10-19-11, 01:53 PM | #1 |
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Continuous soffit vent retrofit
I have a token few measly 1" soffit vents and gable vents and a continuous ridge vent. This isn't good because the lack of lower ventilation will create negative pressure in the attic sucking warm air out of my house! I could put those 4" round vents in pretty easily I guess but a continuous vent will give more ventilation. But how do I install a continuous soffit vent? I'm not really interested in tearing of the gutter, facia and soffit to install a new vented soffit because next spring I'm going to built a new one entirely when I toss 5" of polyiso and a rain screen on. Why can't I just snap 2 lines under there, set the depth of a circular saw so I don't trash the joists or whatever's in there (just like installing a ridge vent) and fit a new continuous vent in? How would I attach it?
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10-19-11, 02:00 PM | #2 |
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Mine is kind of done the same way you are thinking of. It had wooden soffit and the aluminum soffit (no vent) was just nailed to it. I ripped off the aluminum to find the solid wood behind it and also ripped that out (mostly). I then just nailed up new vented soffit.
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10-19-11, 02:02 PM | #3 |
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But you tore out the old soffit? Mine's in good shape, just no venting.
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10-19-11, 02:05 PM | #4 |
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I removed all of the non-vented aluminum. The wood I did as you were thinking and just cut two lines nice and wide to give a good gap for ventilation. Then I nailed up the new alumium vented soffit material.
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10-19-11, 02:41 PM | #5 |
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Ah, OK. What kind of vent did you use? Could you give me a link? How much work was it? Did you caulk the vent? I'm thinking that this would give better ventilation with less labor.
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10-19-11, 02:49 PM | #6 |
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I just went to the local home improvement store and tried to get something that matched what I had pulled off. It was just perforated/punched aluminum soffit material, nothing fancy, similar to what is shown below. I just nailed it up, I don't see why caulking would help at all. The more open area the merrier as long as critters can't get through. The pieces all interlock, so that shouldn't be an issue.
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10-19-11, 02:58 PM | #7 |
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Ahhhhhhhh. I see now. You already had siding that you removed and replaced. I don't have any siding on the soffit. Aluminum everywhere else but none on the soffit and fascia. I'm going to have to figure out something.
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10-19-11, 09:27 PM | #8 | |
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Quote:
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10-19-11, 09:53 PM | #9 |
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10-20-11, 08:24 AM | #10 |
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My soffits are plywood. I currently have NO ventilation, either soffit or ridge. I'm considering one of these options, especially the 2nd one. I'll do a shallow skilsaw cut to avoid the framing and then screw them into place.
Shop CMI Galvanized Soffit Vent at Lowes.com Shop Air Vent 16" x 8" Mill Undereave Vent at Lowes.com Shop CMI White Aluminum Face On Vent at Lowes.com Shop CMI Galvanized Two Way Vent at Lowes.com |
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