Getting attic airflow right: my step-by-step for better roof health

susanm78 · 2025-11-09T03:52:22Z

I’ve been messing around with attic ventilation since I bought my first house (old 60s ranch, leaky as heck). Here’s how I tackled the whole soffit vent thing, step by step—maybe it’ll help someone, or maybe there’s a smarter way I haven’t tried yet. First, I checked if I even had enough soffit vents. Turns out, nope—just a couple tiny ones for the whole house. I measured the attic and used one of those online calculators to figure out how much vent area I needed. Next, I popped off the old vents and installed new, bigger ones (had to cut the wood a bit, which was nerve-wracking). Then, inside the attic, I made sure insulation wasn’t blocking airflow from the soffits—used those foam baffles to keep a clear path up to the ridge vent. Since doing all that, my attic’s way less stuffy in summer and no more weird frost in winter. But honestly, it was kind of a pain and I’m still not sure if I did it perfectly. Anyone got tricks for making this easier, or is there something I missed?

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emily_pilot

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Interesting you mention the solar fan housing—mine started to yellow and get brittle after just two summers. Have you noticed any difference in attic temps since blocking off the gables? I’ve always wondered if that makes a bigger impact in humid climates versus dry ones.

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mobile203

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I actually blocked off my gables last fall after reading a bunch of mixed advice. I’m in the Midwest, so it gets humid, and honestly, I haven’t noticed a huge drop in attic temps—maybe a couple degrees? But I did see less dust blowing in, which was a plus. Did you see a bigger change in your attic temps, or was it more about moisture control?

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Getting attic airflow right: my step-by-step for better roof health

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