Proper Insulating From Soffit To Attic

A guide to proper attic insulation.

Proper insulating from soffit to attic.

Some homeowners and even some insulation installers love to stuff insulation into the soffit to reduce drafts in order to try to warm the attic and thus slow heat loss from the building. Covering up the soffit vents with loose fill or batts which can happen if you stuff insulation along the eaves is a huge no no. If there s blown in insulation like ours rake back the fluffy stuff with a 3 or 4 ft long 1 x 6 or use a garden rake or hoe. To meet all three goals insulating your finished attic ventilating the roof and maximizing headroom use a combination of dense batt insulation rigid foam sheeting and air chutes.

Blown insulation may require an additional block to prevent insulation from being blown into the soffit. The airflow from the soffits to the ridge vent keeps the roof cool and prevents ice dams and the material will block that flow. The answer is rafter venting. The solution is to add baffles which allow air to flow past the insulation photo 9.

In some instances they even block soffit vents. The soffit vents are now installed but you still need to make sure there s no insulation blocking the new vents. The soffit vents allow convective air movement from the soffits of the residence to the ridge vent. Rafter vents or insulation baffles install in any rafter space to create narrow gaps that direct fresh air from the soffit vents to the peak of the roof.

In addition insulation baffles must be installed at the point where the attic floor meets the roofline to prevent the attic insulation from migrating into the cavities and restricting the airflow from the soffit vents. Baffles are available at home centers. A piece of rigid foam board placed on the outer edge of the top plate works very well for this. So with cold weather.

If the attic is insulated with fiberglass batts just pull back any that are blocking the flow of air. Although installing insulation in an unheated attic is usually a fairly straightforward job a variety of pitfalls await the unwary. Once they are in place you can then place the batts or blankets or blow insulation right out to the very edge of the attic floor. If your attic is well insulated the insulation might be plugging the spaces between rafters just above exterior walls.