Redirecting airflow with baffles actually made a difference in one of my older duplexes—helped even out temps, but only after sealing some insulation gaps first. Have you noticed if certain areas of your attic have insulation that’s thinner or missing altogether? Sometimes it’s not just about vent count but where that air actually goes...
Funny you mention baffles—I thought they were just for show until I actually installed a few. Made a bigger difference than the attic fan alone, honestly. Did you notice any weird hot spots after sealing the gaps? Sometimes I swear my attic’s got its own microclimate...
I’ve seen that too—sometimes after sealing everything up tight, you get these random hot zones, especially if the airflow isn’t balanced. Baffles are underrated, honestly. If you’re still getting those microclimates, it might be worth double-checking your intake vents. Sometimes folks focus on the fan and forget the soffits or gable vents need to be clear too. I’ve even seen insulation blocking them by accident... makes a huge difference.
Sometimes folks focus on the fan and forget the soffits or gable vents need to be clear too. I’ve even seen insulation blocking them by accident... makes a huge difference.
That’s spot on—blocked soffits are a classic culprit for poor attic airflow. I’ve run into this a lot, especially when people add blown-in insulation and it creeps over the vent openings. As for roof vs. gable fans, I lean toward roof-mounted in most cases since they pull air more evenly across the attic, but only if intake is truly unobstructed. Gable fans can work, but I’ve seen them short-circuit airflow if the intake/exhaust isn’t balanced. Sometimes it’s less about the fan type and more about making sure the whole system is working together.
Funny enough, I once crawled into an attic to check a “mysterious moisture problem” and found the soffit vents buried under a snowdrift of cellulose. The homeowner was convinced their shiny new gable fan would fix everything, but with zero intake, it was basically just spinning its wheels—literally and figuratively.
I get why folks like gable fans (easy install, less roof penetration), but unless the airflow path is really thought through, they can end up pulling air from wherever they find the least resistance... sometimes even from inside the house. Roof-mounted fans seem to do a better job drawing air evenly, but only if those soffits are clear. I’ve seen more than one “ventilation upgrade” actually make things worse because nobody checked for blocked intakes.
It’s wild how often the simple stuff—like making sure insulation baffles are in place—gets overlooked. Kind of like buying a fancy treadmill and then never plugging it in...