Really appreciate all the thoughts and opinions shared here.
If I wanted to keep things as is, BUT wanted to add a little more on the intake side...what are my options? The house only has the gable for intake and cannot use things like soffits, due to fire code. Is my only option an S-tile Ohagin? Will that make a mess of the existing gable and "short circuit" the entire flow as it stands now?
- Gable vents for intake are common, but yeah, they can be limiting if you want to boost airflow.
- S-tile Ohagin vents could help, but you're right to worry about short-circuiting—mixing intake types sometimes messes with the intended flow, especially if the attic isn’t huge.
- If you go that route, just make sure the new vents are lower than your exhaust points. Otherwise, you might just pull air from one vent to another instead of through the attic.
- I’ve seen folks add low-profile roof intake vents (like SmartVent or similar) where soffits aren’t an option—might be worth looking into if fire code allows.
- Honestly, you’re thinking about it the right way. Just avoid putting too many different vent types close together; it usually causes more headaches than it solves.
Mixing vent types always sounds good in theory, but I’ve seen it backfire and actually make things worse airflow-wise. Honestly, gable vents are cheap and easy, and unless you’re dealing with serious heat or moisture, I’d just stick with what works. Those fancy intake vents can add up fast, and for my budget, the payoff just wasn’t there. If you’re not noticing major issues, maybe don’t overthink it... sometimes simple is best.
Update Roof Ventilation ?
I get what you’re saying about keeping things simple. When we bought our place last year, I went down a total rabbit hole reading about all the different vent types—ridge, gable, soffit, turbines, you name it. Honestly, it got overwhelming fast. I ended up just sticking with the gable vents that were already there since the inspector didn’t flag any big problems. It’s a 1970s ranch with a low slope roof, so not exactly cutting edge, but it’s held up fine through some pretty humid summers here in Virginia.
That said, I do wonder if I’m missing out on something by not upgrading. There was one week in July where the attic felt like a sauna, and I started stressing about mold or the AC working overtime. I even called a roofer for a quote on adding ridge vents, but once I saw the price (and the mess it would make), I backed off. Maybe if I see actual signs of trouble—like moisture stains or ice dams—I’ll revisit it. For now, I’m with you: why fix what isn’t broken?
One thing I did try was adding a cheap attic fan from Home Depot. Not sure if it’s making a huge difference, but at least it gives me peace of mind when it gets really hot out. I guess my take is, unless you’ve got a specific issue, it’s easy to overthink this stuff. Sometimes the old-school solutions are just fine, especially if you’re on a budget and not planning to stay in the house forever.
Curious if anyone’s attic actually got worse after mixing vent types? I keep reading conflicting advice online, and I’d hate to accidentally make things worse just because I got paranoid about airflow.
Mixing vent types is one of those things where you’ll find a million opinions and none of them match. I’ve seen a few houses where adding a ridge vent with gable vents actually made the airflow worse—apparently the air just gets lazy and takes the path of least resistance, so it doesn’t vent out properly. But I’ve also heard from people who swear their attic’s never been cooler. Honestly, I think unless you’re seeing mold or your insulation feels damp, you’re probably fine sticking with what you’ve got. Attic fans are kind of a wild card too... mine sounds like a jet engine but I have no idea if it’s helping or just making my electric bill sweat.
