I get where you’re coming from—seen plenty of leaks start right where someone cut in a new vent or skylight. But I’ve also seen what happens when folks just leave their attic sealed up tight, especially in places with wild temperature swings or lots of humidity. Sometimes the original setup just isn’t cutting it, and you end up with mold or warped decking instead of leaks. Pick your poison, I guess.
One job sticks out: older ranch house, original builder barely put in any soffit vents, and the ridge vent was more for show than anything. Homeowner kept patching ceiling stains, thinking it was a roof leak, but it turned out to be condensation from lousy airflow. We added a couple of well-flashed roof vents and finally got the attic to dry out. No more stains after that. Sure, every new hole is a risk if it’s not done right, but sometimes you’re trading one headache for another.
Not saying more holes are always better—far from it. But sometimes you really do need to improve what’s there, especially if the house has changed (new insulation, different roofing material, whatever). The key for me is making sure any new vent or fan is flashed and sealed like your life depends on it... because after a big storm, it kind of does.
Guess my take is: sometimes the “sales pitch” is legit, but only if the work’s done right and there’s an actual problem to solve. Otherwise, yeah, you’re just giving water more ways in.
