How Do You Vent A Roof Without Soffit Vents

Soffit vents and eaves are placed at the lower extremes of the roof and provide the intake ventilation.
How do you vent a roof without soffit vents. This article is part of the series roof ventilation specifications and also attic condensation cause cure. Install low gable vents located above the top level of the attic ceiling insulation. Weird attic layouts may be a part of it. Remove the first few rows of shingles to expose the roof deck.
To install under shingle vents you must remove the first few rows of shingles and cut a 1 inch channel into the roof deck about 6 inches from the edge taking care not to cut into the roof joists. A compact roof can be accomplished by adding closed cell foam insulation panels and new deck material to the top of the roof but again only if aesthetics and truss design permit. Use eye brow vents that are on the top of the sloping roof surface near the soffit eave area. The two most common options are to.
Roof ridge vents are placed along the ridge line of the roof. The venting drip edge seems to be the easiest and most common way to go. 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. It describes proper roof ventilation placement amounts and other details.
In most cases all you have to do is remove about one inch off the top of the fascia the part that covers the end of the rafters on the roof install the drip edge finish with a vent that s on the top of the roof and you re good to go. Construct a hidden roof intake vent at the top of the building wall by removing the wall top trim or top siding board cutting away any building sheathing or blocking at the wall top nailing 1 spacer blocks 16 on center nailing a new spaced out wall top trim board along the roof eaves and screening the opening against insects. Measure up from the edge of the roof far enough to allow for airflow. If you live in an older home your roof might not be constructed for roof ridge or soffit vents.
With old homes it can be very difficult to properly ventilate the attic for a variety of reasons. Beware of adding a ridge vent without soffit vents the worst or soffit vents without a ridge vent bad or only gable end vents usually bad. Focus on the other ventilation you have in the attic. That said one nonvented option is creating a compact roof assembly where the troublesome cavity simply isn t part of the construction.