I’m right there with you on the “it’s not always as simple as just adding more vents” point. We’ve got a 1960s ranch with a low-pitch roof, and when I first moved in, I figured more ventilation would be a quick fix for the attic getting stuffy in summer. But after poking around up there, it turned out the soffit vents were almost completely blocked by old insulation. No amount of new roof vents would’ve helped until I cleared that up.
I did end up tracking attic temps and humidity for a while—just cheap sensors from the hardware store. Before I fixed the airflow, the attic would hit 120°F on sunny days, and humidity stayed high even in winter. After unblocking the soffits and adding a couple of gable vents (and making sure they were sealed properly), temps dropped by about 10-15 degrees and humidity leveled out. Didn’t totally solve ice damming, though. That only improved after I sealed up some gaps around light fixtures and added more insulation above the ceiling. Turns out, a lot of heat was escaping from the house itself, not just getting trapped in the attic.
I’ve heard folks say more vents are always better, but honestly, if you don’t have balanced intake and exhaust—or if you’ve got weird airflow patterns because of the roof shape—it can backfire. And yeah, leaks are no joke if you don’t seal things right. I tried to DIY one vent and ended up calling a roofer anyway after it dripped during a storm.
If you’re on a budget like me, sometimes just improving what’s already there (like clearing soffits or sealing air leaks) gives you more bang for your buck than cutting new holes in the roof. And those sensors are worth it for peace of mind... at least you know what’s actually going on up there instead of guessing.