THrown-in Insulation: No Soffit Vents...

Ted W

I'm filling the attic joists with blown-in insulation, except I'm braking it up and throwing it in. My customer is concerned about keeping the the insulation back from the edges because he is familliar with attic ventilation, ice-damming and such. Problem is, there are no soffit vents, or a soffit for that mater. My concern is that keeping the insulation back will have just the opposite effect, letting the warmth from the house migrate into the attic and actually causing ice dams to form. Am I doing the right thing by stuffing it all the way to the edge?

__________________
Carpentry and Woodworking - Chicago / North Shore - Ted's Carpentry

"I don't know everything but at least I think I do, and that's what really matters."

concretemasonry

Use the styrofoam chutes between the trusses at the top plate. They keep the insulation for cutting off the ventilation that is needed.

Tell the owner he is wasting money and causing future problems by not having soffit vents. Make sure he has roof or ridge vents also.

__________________
Dick

Engineer, designer and consultant recently active domestically and internationally on construction and design in about 35 countries.

Ted W

Thanks but you're missing the point. There are no soffit vents and no practical way to add any, as it's a flush facia with no overhang at all. So given the circumstances, is it better to go ahead and fill that area to prevent heat from the house from warming the roof?

__________________
Carpentry and Woodworking - Chicago / North Shore - Ted's Carpentry

"I don't know everything but at least I think I do, and that's what really matters."

A.W.Davis

If there are no soffit vents then I would recommend he get some roof vents put in to properly ventilate the attic in the future, and go ahead and spread that insulation everywhere.

__________________
A.W. Davis Construction Co.
http://www.awdavisconstruction.com/
Your friendly remodeling contractor

joenavon

I have a house I am ready to re-roof and it does not have any soffits. It only has a gable on one side of the house and a high pitch front. Should I put two turbine vents on the back or can I use Cobra Vent ridge and two low profile static vents. I was told that Cobra should not be used with a Gable vent, but others say it is ok.

DavidC

There is a vent made for just this application, mounts on the roof near the eave as practical and serves as an air inlet. www.ventilation-maximum.com Their exit vent mounts on or very near the peak and is claimed to be much more efficient than ridge vents.

We've used the top vents with soffit ventilation with very good results. The cost is about a wash for labor and materials when compared to ridge vents.

A distant 2nd best (IMO) is opposing gable vents if possible. Either way you would insulate all the way to over the walls.

And rent the appropiate machine for your insulation. It should be very cheap or free where you bought the material. Your not saving any money breaking it up by hand and delivering a lesser product for it.

No on the combination of gable and ridge vents.

Good Luck
Dave

__________________
www.CookContractingLLC.com

JonM

Let me advise you about something else...by just breaking up the insulation and not blowing it in with a machine, you are only getting about half the R value....Insulation works with air trapped between the fibers.

sawyerEd

I agree with concretemasonry and Jon M. Use the styro chutes. cover the top of the wall but do not pack the soffit with insulation. Wall finish and soffit finish materials are designed with joints that allow slow exchange of air that is usually sufficient to allow the soffit to dry out and vent in. Make sure the exhaust area of your gable or ridge vents is more than just adequate or install powered vent. When you say break it up and throw it in are you talking about that stuff that contains asbestos fibers? You need to be cautious about handling all fiber based insulations. Breathing insulation fibers will kill you.

Ivinni

If that.

__________________
its not going to get better with straps, or new footings or even aroma therapy.

doubleaction

The Edge™ Vent - NEW




Air Vent’s new The Edge™ Vent provides proper intake ventilation for homes with little or no overhang. It’s a roof-top installed, shingle-over intake vent designed based on roofing contractor feedback from our Ask the Expert™ seminars. It can be used to supplement existing soffit or undereave vents as well.

The Edge Vent provides 9 square inches of net free area per linear foot to balance with ShingleVent® II ridge vents and other Air Vent exhaust vents.

Roof-top installation keeps the roofer on the roof
Internal baffles and filter provide weather protection
Constructed of same material as industry-trusted ShingleVent II ridge vents
Each 4-ft piece has integrated end plugs on each end
Radius design allows for increased airflow
3/4" low profile
Minimum roof picth: 3/12
Setting tabs on bottom underside assist with installation
Key component of The Balanced System™ for Attic Ventilation

__________________
Patriot Broadcasting Network

Tom Struble

maybe before you fill you should try to air seal any penetrations with spray foam or caulking especially any along the top plate.And there are a few options on getting ventilation on houses with no soffit just different opinions on what works best

Grumpy

Agreed. Research "the inhaler" vent for intake on homes with no soffit.

Grumpy

By breaking it up and throwing it in you are severly reducing the R value. The machine rental is free around here at the big boxes, why not rent a machine?!

Patrick

Whats the price for that brand? We are paying around $3/ft for "smartvent" brand

__________________
Originally Posted by Celtic
Like I said...I'm sure you are very good at what you do ~ whatever that is and where ever it happens.

Grumpy

I personally do not like the smart vent nor the edge. I have seen both be completely covered in the winter time, making them completely useless. They both claim not to have back ups and a few guys I know using smart vent have said they have never had a backup, I don't know how. However going back to being snow covered, you have little to no ventilation in the winter time with these products.

This is why we have always fabricated our own dummy fascia vent, until I found the inhaler which goes behind the gutter, meaning there is no risk of backup, nor blockage.

doubleaction

I think its around the same maybe a little higher i have only used it once.

__________________
Patriot Broadcasting Network

mrrodgersnot

Use Atticat Fiberglass blown-in insulation. Your customer won't have to worry about anything!!! Cellulose will grow mold if it gets wet. Atticat Fiberglass will NOT grow mold, settle or burn. Your customer will love you!

joasis

Pretty libelous statement, and again, untrue. Post supporting details if you can verify your claims.

__________________

parts

No mold on fiberglass



http://www.inspect-ny.com/sickhouse/FiberglassMold.htm

LetItBeLEED

Like Tomstrouble said: Get several cans of blow foam and caulk and seal against "stack effect" first.

I don't know about the "inhaler" behind the gutter, but the hidden fascia vents Grumpy mentioned? They're great even in winter. Fine Homebuilding magazine had an article awhile back with pics and vendors for some of the products to go behind the fascia.