balance matters more than just slapping on extra vents
Yeah, I’ve seen that mistake a bunch. People think more airflow is always better, but if you don’t have the right intake and exhaust setup, you’re just asking for trouble. Around here (humid summers, cold winters), I always check for blocked soffits first—saw one attic where insulation was jammed right up against the vents. No air movement at all, and the plywood was starting to rot.
If you’re doing a roof checkup, here’s what I look for step-by-step:
1. Make sure soffit vents aren’t blocked by insulation or debris.
2. Check that there’s a clear path from soffit to ridge—baffles help a ton.
3. Look for signs of moisture: dark spots on wood, rusty nails, damp insulation.
4. Inspect vent fans—if you’ve got powered ones, make sure they’re not pulling conditioned air from the house (seen that too many times).
5. Finally, check for missing or damaged shingles while you’re up there.
It’s not just about adding stuff—it’s about making sure what you have actually works together. Learned that the hard way after my first winter on the job... had to help tear out a whole attic’s worth of moldy insulation because someone thought “more is better.” Not fun.
That’s exactly what happened to me—thought I was being smart by adding a couple extra roof vents, but didn’t realize my soffits were basically useless because of old insulation. Ended up with condensation and a nasty smell in the attic. Had to pull everything out and redo it, which cost way more than just checking things properly in the first place. Lesson learned: balance really does matter, and sometimes less is more if it’s done right.
I get where you’re coming from, but I actually had the opposite experience when I moved in here. The inspector flagged my attic ventilation as “borderline,” but the previous owner swore up and down that more vents would just make things worse. I figured, what’s the harm in a little extra airflow? Ended up popping in two more roof vents and honestly, it’s been fine for three years now—no condensation, no weird smells, even through some humid summers.
I do wonder if it comes down to the type of insulation or maybe even the roof pitch. Mine’s a pretty steep roof with fiberglass batts, and I made sure nothing was blocking the soffits before adding anything. Maybe that’s why it worked out? Not saying more is always better, but sometimes you’ve gotta trust your gut and the specifics of your house. Guess there’s no one-size-fits-all with this stuff...
I do wonder if it comes down to the type of insulation or maybe even the roof pitch.
That’s a good point. I’ve seen houses with low slopes and blown-in insulation get condensation even with “enough” vents, but steeper roofs seem more forgiving. I always check for blocked soffits first—sometimes it’s just insulation covering the vents that causes issues, not the number of vents themselves. Every house really does play by its own rules.
Blocked soffits were exactly what tripped me up a few years back. I’d added extra insulation in the attic, thinking more was better, but didn’t realize some of it slid over the soffit vents. Next winter, I started seeing water stains on the ceiling corners—thought it was a roof leak at first. Turns out, it was condensation from poor airflow.
Here’s what I did: First, I crawled up there and checked every vent along the eaves. Used a flashlight and a piece of cardboard to gently push insulation back from the vents. Then I installed those foam baffles (rafter vents) to keep the insulation from sliding over again. It’s not glamorous work, but it made a huge difference.
I agree that roof pitch matters too. My neighbor’s house is almost flat and he’s always fighting moisture issues, even with new vents. Mine’s a 6/12 pitch and seems to dry out faster. Every attic really does have its own quirks... sometimes it’s just trial and error until you figure out what works.
