Adding Soffit and Ridge Vents to Your Attic

Proper attic ventilation is an important component of an energy efficient home, since it keeps your house cooler in the summer. It’s also important in the winter to vent moisture from your attic to prevent rot, mold, and mildew.

To provide proper attic ventilation, your home should have:

• Soffit Vents: These vents are located in the soffit under the eaves to allow outside air into your attic. They’re available in both rectangular and round shapes.
• Ridge and Gable Vents: To let hot air out of your attic, you also need either ridge vents cut into the roofing on the peak of your roof or gable vents at the top of gables in your attic.
• Power Vent Fans: If you need additional attic ventilation, you can install vent fans in your attic. Vent fans can be either hardwired or solar powered, and should be located high up on the roof just below the ridge or inside your attic behind a gable vent.

Watch this video to find out more.

Further Information

• Attic Ventilation (article)
• Adding Soffit Vents (article)
• How to Size Attic Exhaust Vent Fans for Your Home (article)
• Combining an Attic Vent Fan with a Roof Ridge Vent (article)

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Allen Lyle: Now, what Danny means by ventilation is how your attic breathes. And that air exchange is so important. Attic ventilation in the summertime is going to keep the home cooler. That means your air conditioner is going to work less. You’re automatically saving money right there. In the wintertime, it’s going to help move out the moisture, which eliminates the buildup of mold and mildew. Now, you accomplish this two ways.

First of all is intake. Look at this, this is so common in millions of homes across the U.S., you have a solid soffit. It looks really nice – one little vent is just not enough, it won’t do it. So we’re going to cut holes in the soffit, cover those holes with a vent. If you think that’s too big, that’s okay, I’ve got one like this. How about, this is simple, little three-inch hole. Pop it right in place.

Now the second half of the equation is the exhaust. You’ve got to let that air out. Right up top here, this is the ridge. A ridge vent is basically cutting a hole across here, and then covering it with a component that’s going to let that air out of the attic, but keep the rain and critters out. If you can’t do a ridge vent, certainly, I do recommend a power roof vent as close to the ridge as possible.