How to install soffit vent baffles

Add insulation around the rafter vent and out to the edge of the attic floor. Skip to main content. Homepage Header Search box Search. Attic baffles, or rafter vents, are an essential part of keeping your home well-ventilated and reducing the moisture on top of your house.

While there are many projects for your roof that professionals should handle, attic venting baffles can be installed by anyone. This makes it a perfect home improvement project for those who love caring for their home themselves. What exactly are attic vents baffles, are they necessary, how do you install them, and which are the best for you to buy? We have all the answers to your questions right here in this attic insulation baffles guide.

Read on! In short, attic baffles are chutes that provide a way for air to flow from exterior soffit vents up to your attic.

They serve as chutes to your home for air to move through. Soffits and rafter air channels work hand in hand to keep air circulating on top of your home. Attic insulation baffles will also help keep your home protected from condensation, water damage, and mold. There are many benefits to having the right insulation in your attic. Using attic insulation baffles will:. Attic insulation baffles will insulate from touching the roof deck, thereby stopping condensation from forming just below your roof, which can lead to damage.

And with how expensive attic insulation is, you want to keep it safe! So while not every home will have attic soffit vents and baffles, it may be a necessary part of keeping your home safe from mold, condensation, and costly repairs.

Additionally, if you have intake or attic soffit vents, baffles are required. If your finished attic includes knee walls along the lower sections of the space, you only need to install baffles to the area where drywall will be attached directly to the roof rafters. Staple the baffle through the side flanges directly to the roof deck.

Continue installing baffles, moving up the rafter bay towards the peak of the roof. Overlap each baffle. Repeat the process on each rafter bay. Seal the baffles. Continue to drill holes and cut the openings for the remaining rafter vents. Secure each of the vents into the soffit. Set these squares across the rafters as you move out into the attic. Attach a headlamp to your hard hat to free up your hands as you work. Set the baffles and a loaded staple gun inside the attic opening and boost yourself into the attic.

Wait a few moments for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. Work your way out to the ends of the rafter. Carefully pull any insulation that remains away from the first soffit vent. Slide a baffle so it extends from the wall plate to the roof with the soffit vent behind it. Staple the tabs of the baffle to the rafters and the wall plate, spacing staples approximately 4 inches apart.

Continue to install the remaining attic baffle vents. Move the plywood as necessary to avoid stepping on the rafters themselves.