That’s a good point about airflow—blocking vents or stuffing insulation too close can definitely trap heat. I had a roof-mount in my last house, and yeah, it was louder than I expected, especially when the wind picked up. When I switched to a gable fan here, it was quieter but didn’t move as much air on really hot days. One thing that helped was sealing up any gaps around the fan housing with weatherstripping (not insulation), just to cut down on rattling without hurting airflow. If noise is a big deal, maybe try rubber mounts or vibration pads too... made a difference for me.
I’ve actually gone back and forth on this myself. My first place had a roof-mount fan, and I swear, every time the wind picked up it sounded like a helicopter was landing up there. I tried tightening everything down, but the noise just kept coming back. Ended up using some leftover foam weatherstripping from a window project, and that helped a bit with the rattling, but didn’t do much for the overall hum.
When I moved, the new house had a gable fan already installed. It was definitely quieter, but I noticed the upstairs still got pretty toasty in July and August. I think part of it was just the way the attic was shaped—kind of long and narrow—so maybe the air wasn’t circulating as well as it could have. I did what you mentioned and sealed around the housing with weatherstripping (not insulation, learned that lesson the hard way), and that cut down on some weird vibrations.
One thing I found out by accident: if you’ve got loose soffit vents or blocked intake, neither fan really works right. I spent a weekend clearing out old insulation that had drifted over the vents, and suddenly the gable fan actually started making a difference. Not night-and-day, but enough that the AC didn’t have to run quite as hard.
I’m still not totally sold on either setup being perfect. Roof-mounts seem to move more air, but the noise is a pain unless you’re willing to mess with rubber mounts or pads like you said. Gable fans are easier to get to for maintenance, at least in my experience, but maybe not as effective if your attic’s got a weird shape or not enough intake.
If I ever redo my attic again, I might look into those solar-powered roof fans. No idea if they’re any quieter, but at least they wouldn’t add to my electric bill...
It’s reassuring to hear someone else wrestling with these choices. I’ve been researching fans for months and it’s never as simple as “just install one.” The bit about soffit vents being blocked is something I wouldn’t have thought of—makes sense, though. I’m leaning toward a gable fan just because of the easier access, but your point about attic shape is making me second-guess that. Solar-powered roof fans sound intriguing, but I wonder if they’d move enough air in a bigger space. Guess there’s always a trade-off somewhere.
Solar-powered roof fans sound intriguing, but I wonder if they’d move enough air in a bigger space.
That’s the rub with solar fans—they’re great for smaller attics or as a supplement, but in a big space, you might end up just stirring the hot air around unless you go for multiple units (which gets pricey). Gable fans are way easier on the knees if you ever need to swap one out, but if your attic’s shaped like a funhouse, airflow can get weird. I’ve seen folks install a gable fan and then realize half their attic is still a sauna. Trade-offs everywhere... and don’t get me started on blocked soffits—found a bird’s nest in one last month.
I ran into the same issue with my last house—big attic, one solar roof fan, and it barely made a dent unless the sun was blazing. Ended up adding a second gable fan just to get some cross-breeze. If your soffits are blocked or undersized, though, none of it works right... I spent a weekend just clearing out old insulation and nests from mine. Sometimes feels like you’re chasing your tail with attic airflow.
