Replies

1. 
   Sphere | Jan 20, 2004 06:04pm | #1

   The baffle are corrogated in 16 and 24 " widths..they are extended a bit past the wall line and are stapled in the flanges on the side to the underside of the roof deck..a squeeze stapler is a bit better than a slap hammer..try that.

2. 
   xMikeSmith | Jan 21, 2004 02:22am | #2

   anthony... after you staple it in like sphere said.. you have to add blocking around the baffle to prevent the cells from filling the soffit..

    we do this a lot of different ways.. you can use thick cut-offs of fiberglass insulationas a dam..

    you can custom cut plywood dams that fill snug-fit around the baffles.. these get nailed up on the exterior during framing.. usually before teh roof sheathing goes on  ( if you think of it in time)...

    you can make a dam out of foam stock that will fit around the baffle..

   here's some plywood dams cut to fit around the baffles on a lower roof of a gambrel...

   Mike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

   
1. 
   abutcher | Jan 21, 2004 07:13am | #3

   Thanks for the picture. These are going in a 30 yr old house with a 6-12 pitch roof. I think I will try packing in the insulation batts instead of cutting wood. You Do good work.

   Do I need to install them the entire length of the roof or just where the soffit vents are? I have 6 vents on the front and 6 vents on the back of the house which has a gable roof and about 1200 sq ft of attic space on the 2nd floor. I had the vents installed with a ridge vent when I had the house re-roofed. Is that enough soffit vents? The vents on the soffits are like 4 x 12 but the installer just cut oval slots with a sawz-all about half that size.

   Thanks

1. 
   dIrishInMe | Jan 21, 2004 04:17pm | #4

    >>Is that enough soffit vents?<<

   To really answer that question, you need to figure out how many square inches of ventilation is being supplied by the ridge vent, and how many is being supplied by the soffit vents.  The idea is that the sum of the soffit vents should ~= the ridge vents, although there can be somewhat more ventilation in the ridge.  This is necessary to get the ventilation system to "draw" right - through convective air movement.  Ridge vent manufacturers normally publish specs as to how much ventilation their product supplies.  I know that the one I like and use - ShingleVent II - supplies 18 sq in per linear foot.  BTW - I think you need to block the areas around all of the baffles to keep loose fill insulation from getting into the soffits. Matt

1. 
   xMikeSmith | Jan 21, 2004 09:03pm | #6

   shingle vent II is the only one we use also.... been using Air-vent products since the early '80's.... they are always out in front with their testing... the baffle works great for leak prevention too..Mike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

1. 
   dIrishInMe | Jan 22, 2004 04:12pm | #7

   Mike:

   Just out of curiosity, how does all that snow and ice affect ridge vents in the "great white north"?  Well, OK, not as much frozen precipitation for you as many here, but you know what I mean.  I mean it would seem that the vents could, potentially be covered and inoperable for 6 months of the year...

   BTW - remember when the ShingleVent product didn't come with the end baffles?  You had to put those "corks" at the ends of the roof.  I told 1 roofer I wanted them in there and the response was "That isn't gonna leak unless there is a Hurricane or something."  My response "Well, let me see, we haven't had a hurricane for at least two months".  He installed them. Matt

2. 
   xMikeSmith | Jan 22, 2004 04:50pm | #8

   don't know for sure , matt... the snow doesn't stay on our roofs long enough to make any difference.. if a roof were covered for more than two weeks it would be unusual...

   even further north... my guess.. some of those 0deg. days, as long as the sun is out, there will be some heat drive on the south side enough to defrost the vents..

    ask piffen.. he's a mainerMike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

2. 
   BossHog | Jan 21, 2004 05:18pm | #5

   "Do I need to install them the entire length of the roof or just where the soffit vents are?"

   I see a lot fo guys put them in every other space. Personally I like to put them in every space. They're cheap and easy to install. And it seems to me that putting them in every space insures the best possible air flow.Marriage is grandDivorce is about 10 grand.