installing attic baffle vents from outside, with existing batt insulation. In this case, there is only about 6 inches or room to slide the vent between the insulation and the roof sheathing
I deal with poorly vented attics often. This is the best way.. a wooden dowel or broom stick with one or two screws in the end of it will allow you to reach the insulation from inside the attic and use the same stick to slide the baffles into place. You’re welcome.
The gutter idea is great. I've got knee walls and need to go up about five feet to get some ventilation and cool the upstairs. Glad to see I can push this stuff through the batt insulation and into the upper area to vent out.
Thanks for an technique that should prove helpful to many. In my case, the eaves were already boarded over and the metal outside vents were too small to slip those fragile pink baffles into place without damaging them. Approach the vents from the inside had a different glitch. It was extremely difficult to get close enough to slip those baffles into place and staple them to rafters, particularly given the roofing nails sticking down about an inch. Making matters worse, for part of my attic, a cathedral ceiling left even less space to slip into to get to those eaves. I thought of getting my 12-year-old grand-nephew to do it, but I don't think even he could have fit in. The fix proved so easy, I kicked myself for not thinking of it earlier. Simply staple those baffles to a couple of long 1x2-inch or so lengths of wood. Those two sticks make slipping the baffles into place far easier and there was no need to staple the baffles to the rafters. At the top, I hammered two nails into the rafters and stretched a cord between them to hold the baffle+sticks in place. Since nothing is stapled down, it is also easily adjusted. I went with 8-foot strips of wood and two baffles partly because those baffles do help with directing the flow of hot air upward, but primarily because that meant I was much further out from the eaves and working in a space about 4 feet high. It's worth the few dollars those wood strips cost to avoid the lying across rafters on my belly and those roofing nails.
Great Michael, glad that worked for you. In my previous house, like yours, my eaves were boarded over. I tore the board out (better air flow), installed the baffle vents and put in perforated vinyl soffit. I also found that I didn't have to staple many of the vents to the decking/sheathing from the inside afterwards - if you have a good amount of insulation in the attic, once you press the vent up in, the insulation keeps the vent pressed pretty hard against the decking.
Thanks for the vid Adam. I had this idea for a week now and came here to see if anyone else had done it. Glad I'm not crazy :) Our house was built in 1970 and the insulation is in good condition..but it's the original type that's itchy as heck. With our 3-12 pitch roof its almost impossible for me to get that close to the soffit from the inside.
so here I am just 3 hours after watching this video and I have already installed 6 baffles. Truth be told I have bungalow.. much easier access to soffits :) I used a sheet of 1/8 fiberboard 22" W and 36" long. I slipped this between the roofing nails and the fiberglass. I then slipped the baffle in between while pushing the fiberglass down and bingo bango! Slip the board out and onto the next. Not saying Adam's way isn't good or that mine is better.. you use what you have on hand and every situation is different. As an extra bonus to doing this from the outside, you can see just how large of area is NOT insulated. You can even see the sill (kinda) and you take take a little extra time to seal the sill and add extra insulation as I did. Winning! ;)
Thanks man. That's going to help me big time this summer when I do my house. I have those garbage styrofoam ones you had and you're right, they're useless.
Was advised by inspector and energy consultant to install this ones as well in purchased house, cause insulation touched roof and block air movement. Bought a pack, and some extra to cover all roof. Tried to install from inside, with small hot space, insulation dust and sticking nails. Destroyed 4 board, installed 3 in 4 hours.... Now looking for better way to do it...
Thanks MaCoeur. If you can't find other baffles that would work, you could use these same baffles and just cut an inch or two off each side so it fits. Not idea but would likely work okay
These baffles are used for both 16" and 24" o.c. rafters. For 16", you break them down the middle (perforation line) and use half for each joist bay. Don't think you could use the gutter hack though.
@@TicoTimeCR Someone just dropped a few similar baffles off for me...I still think I'll have to improvise though, since cutting them in half will eliminate the center channel that would be used to push it into place.
I might try a 1x2 stapled at top with 3-4 staples instead of tape, then when in place I’ll twist the 1x2 90 degrees fast so the staples break free... ? But , thx for the idea !
Did you take down an aluminum soffit to get access to the attic? If so, I assume you had to bend the aluminum facia out/down to get the soffit material out. And if so, how did it go bending that aluminum facia back to a 90 degree angle to hold up the soffit? Thanks!
Hi Ann - my soffit was perforated vinyl, not aluminum. I didn't have to bend the fascia metal - I put flat chisel tool (a flat screwdriver may work) between the soffit and the 90 degree bend, then just flexed the metal down and away until that part of the soffit popped out. From there you can just pull at the soffit to get a large piece out.. using your tool to flex the fascia metal away where necessary. You have to use that technique for each piece of soffit. The hardest part is dealing with the nails on the soffit joists .. some soffits are nailed on really well and it can be a major PITA to pry them off.
My house has blown in installation where it was blown all the way to the edge, covering any venting. I've tried using a long shovel and a rake but can't reach far enough to clear it out. I'll give this method a try (though I'm afraid the second I take off a soffit cover, a crap ton of insulation is going to fall in my face. Wonder if I can clear it back into the attic using a leaf blower from the outside)
Many times there is blocking put between the rafters on top of the wall plate that stops insulation from pouring out. just seperate a couple pieces of soffit and check it out. Good luck!
Yeah mine was full of them too, sticking out about 1/4'' from decking. Having the piece of gutter or 2x4 allows you to pull the front down away from the decking and slide it in without totally catching on the nails. Few tares here and there but no biggy. Worked fairly well. But yeah if you have a tonne of them and they stick out far it's gonna be tough. Maybe get a long thin piece of plastic or tin or something to put in with it (between vent and nails), something that will slide across the bottom of the nails, then pull it out after? I'm sure there is something that could make it easier
Hope you had your ladder tied off. I can’t imagine doing all that rocking and shifting up there and the bottom gives out on that ladder. That would really suck. Too bad you don’t have a person helping in the inside of the attic at the same time that would help as well as someone outside handing you stuff so you don’t have to go up and down and up and up did I mention up and down LOL🆙
Yeah, I don't mind the up and down, all good :) After this one the rest went smooth.. person on the inside would be nice... but pretty crappy for the buddy on the inside!
These baffles are meant to work with a ridge vent - I'm no pro here but this is my understanding. You can have the gable vents with a ridge vent but it's not as effective at all. The other option if you've ruled out baffle/eve venting are those 'whirlybird' rigs
I'm seriously considering this method when I do my house this year. I noticed you didn't staple the pink baffle to the sides of the trusses and I realize it's nearly impossible to reach that far in. Do you think that will be a problem in future or are you relying on the height of the insulation to keep them up in between the trusses?
I actually went in my attic to staple the upper ends of the vents but found that I didn't need to. If you have a good amount of insulation in the attic, the insulation keeps the vent pressed fairly firm against the roof decking
the part that's cooking my brain is how the way you taped it looks like you'd pull the baffle back out. i don't see how it came loose if you taped it over like that
I could have explained that better. The tape rips off the portion of the baffle that it's stuck to. When I pull the gutter out you can see a little 2'' part of the baffle stuck to the tape. So there is nothing really clever about the way I taped it i guess
You're right.. it's still foam. It's a better product in every way, however. I've installed them several times in the past and they seem to do the trick.
