Thank you very much for your answers but I know not to stop air flow in the soffit for a roof. I apologize for not explaining the question correctly. The overhang that Iam talking about is not the one for the roof. This overhang is a overhang which is cantilevered over the top plate of the first floor exterior wall. Garrison colonials are bulit this way. If you are on the second floor, the floor is actually cantilevered about 18 inches over the first floor exteror wall. I thought that if I removed the metal soffit panels and insulated these joist bays I could stop air intrusion between stories. I hope this explains the situation better. Would greatly appreciate your comments.

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Originally Posted by duce432

Thank you very much for your answers but I know not to stop air flow in the soffit for a roof. I apologize for not explaining the question correctly. The overhang that Iam talking about is not the one for the roof. This overhang is a overhang which is cantilevered over the top plate of the first floor exterior wall. Garrison colonials are bulit this way. If you are on the second floor, the floor is actually cantilevered about 18 inches over the first floor exteror wall. I thought that if I removed the metal soffit panels and insulated these joist bays I could stop air intrusion between stories. I hope this explains the situation better. Would greatly appreciate your comments.

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Not being familiar with the metal soffitt panels you mention, there is no reason to ventilate between the first and second floor joisting unless those panels are used for HVAC duct vents along the outside cantilever. Insulate the joist cavities and then close the cantilever underside with a waterproof paneling or aesthetic siding to match what you have for the existing exterior. Make sure to run metal Z flashing behind the existing siding so the siding trim band or drip edge will not allow water to wick up under the cantilever.

nm

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Originally Posted by labman

If you meant what I understand you did snip...

The sections of soffit panel rest in a channel formed by the lip on the fascia cover and an ''F'' channel. Usually they are slid in from one end with very few nails if any. You should be able open one end and slide them out. I don't think you want to put insulation on top of them.

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OK, that wasn't what you meant. It hardly seemed to make sense to me.

My house has a section exactly as you describe with much of it having a porch roof that comes out another 42'' past the 16'' overhang. I resided the house in 1985 and covered all the trim with aluminum. The project included an inch of foam board under the siding. I forget exactly what I did on the over hang. I do remember opening things up and adding insulation. Since then, the pipes to the upstairs bath never froze up again.
I do have ventilation to the ''attic'' of the porch, but it is sealed from the space between the joists.

Removing the soffit panels should go just as I repeated above. Depending how new your house is, you may find an air tight layer of OSB above the metal panels. It may already have insulation above it. The panels are not meant to be an air tight sheathing. I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to put the same panels back on when the product is finished.

I was very disappointed the following winter when my heating bills were about the same despite the foam Board, caulk, tape, etc. Then I heard everybody else's took a big jump. I doubt it is ever a mistake to add insulation unless you cause some other problem.