How to Keep Continuous Soffit Vents in Top Condition

Ridge and continuous soffit vents are a passive system that is regarded as the handiest way of ventilating an attic room. This sort of venting system can operate effectively without regard for wind direction and speed. Airflow in an attic made by this sort of venting will be a continual wash of air directly under the roof moving upward from the eaves (soffits) to the ridge. Though paid tiny attention to, your roof essentially has an important part when it comes round to keeping your house dry and warm. Safe within your house the roof battles to keep the rain out, keep the heat in and direct rainwater away from the building so it does not cause any damage. To enable it to do its job correctly you want to test the guttering, soffit, and fascia boards are all in good shape at least one time a year. Has anybody ever told you to "clean your soffit vent"? Doubtless not. If air is flowing thru the vents, the vents will ultimately get soiled (like the Lint Trap on a clothing dryer). If they become blocked or clogged, they limit the air flow and won't be effective. The nice thing about ridge vents is that they don't generate any waste. They are made of constructed plastica and use foam blocks to seal the ends. The ridge vents do well when there is a rounded ridge for the shingles to sit on, but they may be difficult to apply on steep roofs. Some vents are scored in the center to easily conform to the roof. Also keep in mind that vent cleaning should be done each 2 years. 

Step 1: Dust the Vent

Thoroughly dust the vent.

Step 2: Arrange Regular Cleanings

Ensure that the vent is dusted thoroughly every year.

If you have got an electrical attic room fan, the soffit vents should be cleaned each year. Otherwise, the soffit vents will get clogged making your electrical attic room fan pointless and the motors will burnout fast. Soffit vents that are blocked due to multiple layers of paint should get replaced.

If your place is lots of years old and the soffit vents aren't unclean this is another concern. See "Tray Ceilings" or "Mixed Exhaust Ventilation" below.

Another problem is that many soffit vents are cut too little, even on new houses. You can't say that a soffit vent is providing the proper quantity of intake ventilation. If the soffit vents are cut too tiny, this disrupts the balance of NFA (net free area ) required for correct air flow.

Many houses built before about 1997 have tray ceilings with NO air channel for attic room ventilation. The insulation is "sandwiched" between the sheetrock and the roof deck. The result is that the soffit vents are actually useless, the air flow is blocked from reaching the ridge or exhaust vents. This can make a contribution to hot rooms, particularly upstairs where interior walls face the attic room space.