View Full Version : Attic Insulation and venting
house4sal
Apr 20, 2009, 02:52 PM
I am going to have our roof reshingled. AT that time, I would like to add insulation in our attic, and additional venting. Currently all I have is gable vents. Should I add ridge venting as well as soffit venting with gable. Or will one of these suffice with gable vents?
Thank You
ballengerb1
Apr 20, 2009, 03:16 PM
You should be good with what you have. It is not advisable to mix gable and ridge vents, they can draft through each other and pull in rain or snow. You can add more soffit vents if you feel the sq ft of the gable can handle more air. Make sure the extra insulation does not block the free air movement entering the attic via the soffit.
21boat
Apr 20, 2009, 05:51 PM
Just to add to bals good advice here
Side note: the added insulation should NOT have a vapor barrier on it.
dawgsnkats
Apr 20, 2009, 06:30 PM
house4sal, a few other things to think about in regards to attic venting. Free air space, or the amount of ventilation is key as well as geographical location of the house, pitch/steepness of the roof, and finally cost. For the dollar, ridge venting is the most free air space for your dollar with no maintenance costs.
ballengerb1
Apr 20, 2009, 06:47 PM
21boat, my bad, I totally forgot to mention the insulation must have no vapor barrier, thanks. Previous poster states a ridge gives a lot of bang for the buck which may be true. However a gable vent will draw are in and vent via the ridge vent. Should not have both, you need to pull all your fresh cold air in from the soffit vent.
21boat
Apr 20, 2009, 07:20 PM
No problem bal1 You covered enough of my oops and thanks for all that you do here..
Just to re cap soffit to ridge venting is the perfect air flow set up. Cold air pulled in to slight warmer air above insul and chimney out the ridge vent.
Houseforsale if you want you can buy 'baffels" for the air space needed by the soffits when thicker insul is put in. The baffles comes single and double wide. If you see just doubles they can be utility knifed into singles.
The baffles start right where the soffit vents stop at the house plate. Not out over the soffit which needs to be clear of everything
900117 ATTIC VENT INSULATION BAFFLE SINGLE (http://www.idealtruevalue.com/servlet/the-168916/Detail)