Hot attic. Should I install soffit vents or a gable fan. Atick has ridge and 2 gable vents & good insulation.

My 2nd floor is always hot in summer and cold in winter in my 1966 colonial house. My attick is well insulated and has 2 gable vents and a continuous ridge vent. I'm trying to decide on a gable fan or soffit vents. I'm leaning toward the soffit vents but was curious about:





1) Installation of soffit vents. Is this easy? What is the soffit board made of? Is this easy to cut? Is it a one person job?





2) If I install soffit vents, should I close my gable vents, as I think soffit + ridge vent would provide the best low to high ventilation.





Many thanksHot attic. Should I install soffit vents or a gable fan. Atick has ridge and 2 gable vents %26amp; good insulation.
absolutely do not have a carpenter come over so you can pick his brain. The suggestion angers me because if you have no intention of hiring him you are wasting his time. this happens all too often and is really looked down upon. soffit vent won't do you any good unless the air can flow to the ridge. If insulation is impeding this then you need to install proper vent (styrofoam chutes) as well as soffit vents. Now while this is the proper way to vent a house it may not alleviate your problem. You may need a gable fan however I am unsure due to not seeing your problemHot attic. Should I install soffit vents or a gable fan. Atick has ridge and 2 gable vents %26amp; good insulation.
I would do a blend..





passive = soffit vents + ridge


active = thermostatically operated whole house fan





This way, you get some free benefit but when the temps exceed what the soffit/ridge combo can handle, the whole house louvers will quickly dump both the house and the attic heat.





as to # 2.. If your composite soffit area exceeds the gable vent area, then closing it would be OK, but I don't think the extra vent will impede the flow from soffit to ridge





As to #1. Typical soffits are pine boards, very easy to cut.. (assuming you have some overhang of roof outside the foundation footprint) hole saws and round vents install very quickly.. More of a bother is making sure the soffit area ';communicates'; to the attic area free of insulation. If the insulation runs all the way to the corner, you must pull a bit back and install styrofoam baffles to hold the insulation back
have you choked down the dampers on your first floor and open them on the second floor for this will be on your duct work this will help get as much cool air to the up stairs do you have a cold air return on the second floor ,installing a vent would help try a turbine style ,ive be on a lot of house fires due to a fan catching the attic on fire you can e-mail me @mstr_of_all@yahoo
You might also look into a couple of those wind powered attic fans. They would save you a bit of electricity.
Soffit vents are ok depending on your local but if you are in the South then your house already has them standard. An Attic fan using your gable vents would be easier...just make sure that you have the needed power supply...they come with thermostats and can be set to go on at certain temps. A cooler Attic saves bundles by minimizing heat transfer through the ceiling during the summer.
I'd go with an attic fan - have one in this house, and in the last 2 homes as well. It will help draw hot air out of the 2nd floor as well as the attic.





Won't help with the winter problem though.
Soffit vent is made usually of a Plastic material very easy to cut with a slide saw (like a chop saw that slides)


It isnt board. But if you have wooden soffit then you can get vents that you just have to cut out for.......... The plastic ones are held in by nails and the edes you would want to conceal with metalwork..... I would say for someone with some hanywork or some carpentry skills the soffits can be a one person job. If you dont have any clue what your doing i would read up on the project at hand.


If you are havein ventilation issues have a carpenter or a contractor at least just come and look over the situation and give you an idea s to what he would do if you were to hire him... then you would know what to do and its not like you have to hire him.. Believe me I have seen my collegues go out looking at could be jobs and not get hired on. Its part of the job.... AND it shouldnt cost you anything at all for them to look and tell ya what theyd do.......But Also I would have to say fans would be A lot Easier!!


So good Luck....
Why not insulate the 2nd floor?





Something doesn't sound right here. If your attic is well insulated, why is it hot? Is the insulation on roof rafters or on the attic floor between the 2nd-floor ceiling and the attic as it should be?





Your house was built before the oil crisis and I'll bet those 2nd floor outside walls could use insulation. Is there any where you can check easily? (like in a closet)








You seem to have all kinds of vents in the attic but you're saying, the warm air can't leave because cooler air can't enter. Soffit vents sounds good and you don't have to close the gable vents. You probably need only a few.
it would be hard to tell what the soffit is made of without seeing it, but judging by the time made, it should be a solid board. it would be easy to cut with a jigsaw or sawsall, and it is a one person job. i don't think i would close the gable vents, unless they are very large. when installing the soffit vents, put some of those styrofoam chutes to keep the insulation from blocking them, they are cheap, and although you have to go into the attic to install them, it will ensure that you get good ventilation.
installing the vented soffit will make a big difference