Roof Ventilation Without Soffit

Intake vents such as soffits are placed lower on the roof usually under the eaves.

Roof ventilation without soffit.

The two roof ventilation options intake vents and exhaust vents should be placed to take advantage of the natural increased speed of air circulation. How to vent an attic with no eaves the function of soffit vents. The design of many older houses omits eaves which maximizes the amount of sunlight. But if you don t have eaves or if you have shallow soffits like me ventilation can be a challenge.

They call this a venting drip edge. The venting drip edge seems to be the easiest and most common way to go. Roof ridge vents are placed along the ridge line of the roof. Normal vented air likes to enter the attic lower down near the bottom third of the attic and as it passes through it will exit higher up near the top third of the attic space.

Be certain that the hole is between the rafters. Vents at the soffits are intermittent or spot vents or are simply too small. If i had an older home without soffits i would strongly consider just completely air sealing the attic and adding foam insulation totally removing the need for ventilation. Typically you would have a gable vent on each end of the attic.

One great alternative to a soffit ventilation system is to install an intake vent right at the lower edge of the roof. Smart vent a special roof eaves vent product that provides a 3 4 opening about 6 above the top of the roof drip edge. I m presuming that the roof has good eave detailing so that rain does not enter at the beam. With old homes it can be very difficult to properly ventilate the attic for a variety of reasons.

Place the roof vent over the hole. Problems when roof has no overhang. Install special roof intake venting products that work at the lower edge of the roof decking underneath the first course of shingles. Insert the jigsaw and cut the hole.

However without soffit vents that makeup air comes from indoors a situation that is not desirable in any season. If you live in an older home your roof might not be constructed for roof ridge or soffit vents. Draw it on the roof deck. Soffit vents and eaves are placed at the lower extremes of the roof and provide the intake ventilation.

It makes sense that the wettest spots are near the beam because that s the most likely site for humid air leakage from the indoors. Venting solutions for roofs with no overhang or soffit. Weird attic layouts may be a part of it. Here are examples of inadequate intake ventilation.

For proper ventilation it isn t enough for air to simply get into your attic. Don t install intermittent or occasional or faux soffit intake venting or vents with too little opening area such as we show in the photo at left. For an attic without soffit vents you may have the option to use gable vents instead. Drill a hole inside the shape for the jigsaw blade.

Remove the shingles in the area where the vent is to be installed.