Installing Attic Intake Vents

As a result the attic ventilation will not be effective in cooling the area.

Installing attic intake vents.

Proper attic ventilation consists of a balance between air intake at your eaves soffits or fascias and air exhaust at or near your roof ridge. To achieve proper ventilation in the attic. The most common way to add ventilation to an attic is by installing air intakes in the soffits and putting an outlet at the gable of the house. This is called passive ventilation.

Go into your attic. How to install a roof vent method 1 of 3. From the roof s peak. Drive a nail through your attic to mark where you want your vent.

Set your circular saw at 1 8 inch 0 4 cm greater than the thickness of your roof s soffit when installing an intake vent. Federal housing authority recommends a minimum of at least 1 square foot of attic ventilation evenly split between intake and exhaust for every 300 square feet of attic floor space. You also want a fan that s appropriate for the square footage of your attic space by checking the manufacturer s specifications. Center nails between rafters 18 in.

They are easy to install under the roof s overhang which is known as the soffit are generally hidden from sight and provide excellent protection from weather outdoor debris and pests while still allowing air to flow into the attic. Installing soffit intake vents. This creates a natural air flow by drawing in the air from outside pushing it up and out through the vent at the top of the house. Soffit vents are one of the most popular intake vent styles.

Photos 1 6 show how it s done. This way you don t have to cut a brand new hole but simply make the hole for the vent larger so it can accommodate the fan. Adding attic vents is a simple matter of cutting holes and installing vents. When you install 2 exhaust vents in the attic they draw air from each other as opposed to drawing air from the intake vents.

Check around the edges of your attic for any wiring. At the same time you need to create a balance between the exhaust vents and the intake vents. Then cut out your desired location and screw the vent directly into the soffit. Drive nails up through the sheathing and shingles to mark roof air vent locations.

That path is supposed to be from low in the attic intake vents to the highest possible exit point in the attic exhaust vents. Make sure you play close attention to the insulation which should leave a gap between itself and the vent. To save time use an existing roof or gable vent to install your new attic fan.