- Ran into this exact thing last year—previous owner had three different types of vents (gable, ridge, and a couple turbines) all fighting each other. Ended up with condensation and some mold near the eaves.
- Closed off two gable vents and just kept ridge + soffit. Airflow actually improved, and humidity dropped.
- For me, I look at the original venting plan (if there is one), then check for dead air spots or signs of moisture. Sometimes less really is more, especially in those chopped-up attics from the 50s.
- Ever tried using smoke sticks or thermal cameras to see how air’s moving up there? That’s helped me spot weird flow patterns I wouldn’t have guessed.
Yeah, mixing vent types can be a real headache—seen it a bunch in the older buildings I manage. Funny how closing off a couple actually makes things better, right? I’ve used smoke sticks too, they’re super handy for tracking dead spots. Sometimes the old-school setups just need a little tweaking, not a full overhaul. Good on you for getting ahead of the moisture before it got ugly.
I ran into the same thing when I moved in last year. The inspector flagged “mixed venting” but didn’t really explain what that meant, so I just left it alone at first. Fast forward to winter—condensation everywhere, and the attic smelled musty. I started reading up and realized I had both ridge vents and a couple of those old turbine things, plus some blocked soffits. No wonder it was a mess.
I tried the smoke stick trick too (honestly, felt a bit silly waving it around up there), but it actually helped me spot where air wasn’t moving. Ended up capping the turbines and clearing out the soffits, and it made a noticeable difference. Didn’t have to rip everything out, just a few tweaks like you said.
It’s weird how sometimes less is more with airflow. I thought more vents = better, but apparently not. Still learning as I go, but at least the attic’s dry now.
That’s wild, I had almost the same thing happen—thought more vents would be better, but ended up with a weird draft and cold spots in the house. Did you notice any difference in your heating bills after you fixed the airflow? I’m still trying to figure out if my tweaks actually helped with energy costs or just made the attic less gross.
- Totally get where you’re coming from—had the same “more is better” mindset at first.
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Yep, that’s exactly what happened here too. Took me a while to figure out it was the airflow, not the insulation.“ended up with a weird draft and cold spots in the house.”
- After I balanced things out, my heating bill dropped maybe 10%? Hard to say if it was all from the vent tweaks, but the house definitely feels more even now.
- Don’t stress too much if you’re not seeing huge savings right away. Sometimes just having a less musty attic is worth it.