What if I have no soffit vents?

If you don’t have soffit vents, we recommend you add some other vents in the lower part of the attic that can function like soffits. For some homes, you could try adding vents to a porch ceiling that could act like a soffit and feed the attic.

Do soffits provide ventilation?





Soffits are the boards under your roof eaves while fascias run parallel along your roof, where gutters are placed. While fascia is important for both sealing off the soffit and aesthetics, the soffit itself is what provides ventilation to the attic.

Do all soffits need vents?

Soffit can be non-vented or vented to allow for maximum roof ventilation. Non-vented or continuous soffit works best when your roof has narrow eaves or if you need to ventilate a large amount of attic space.

Do soffits need air vents?

Soffit vents are required to cool the attic space and help circulate air from outside. The general rule of thumb for the amount of soffit ventilation required is to have at least one square foot of ventilation for every 150 square feet of attic space.

How do you vent a roof with no soffit?

One great alternative to a soffit ventilation system is to install an intake vent right at the lower edge of the roof. They call this a venting drip edge. The venting drip edge seems to be the easiest and most common way to go.

Can you insulate an attic without soffit vents?





In an attic without soffit vents you can add insulation in the corners and the wedges between the slope of the roof and the floor of the attic, which serves as the ceiling for the room below.

Do ridge vents work without soffit vents?

If there is no soffit venting, the ridge vent has no option but to pull air from the other side of the ridge vent.

What is an eyebrow vent?

Static vents, also referred to as roof line or eyebrow vents, are metal cylinders with a flashing collar and a hood, which keep the rain out. This type of intake vent is installed by cutting rows of holes along the face of the roof and nailing the vents’ flashing collars to the roof sheathing.

Do you have to have soffits?

Your home can have an eave without being enclosed by a soffit, but it can’t have a soffit without an eave. Older homes and some new construction homes with insulated roofs have exposed — or open-rafter — eaves where the rafters of the eaves are visible. In that case, soffits are not necessary.

Do fascias need ventilation?



Vented soffits or over fascia vents are not required on properties that were built prior to the Building Regulations coming into enforcement or those that were originally constructed without ventilation.

How many soffit vents should a house have?

Most professionals recommend one square foot of ventilation for every 150 square feet of attic area. This will help you determine how many soffit vents you need. For example, a 15′ x 40′ attic would have a total area of 600 square feet; divided by 150 equals 4 square feet of total ventilated space needed.

Why do soffits need vents?

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. This ventilation is achieved through mini-holes or vents in the soffit. These vents make your home breathable and provide air circulation to your attic.

Should soffit vents be covered with insulation?



You should never cover your soffit vents with insulation because it will block the natural airflow. Blocking the natural airflow will cause even more problems throughout your house, so properly installing insulation is critical (source).

Do soffit vents help cool house?

Unlike most attic vents which are usually positioned somewhere at the top, soffit vents pull cool dry air in from the outside, which forces hot damp air trapped inside your attic up and out of the higher vents.