What is a soffit vent baffle?
It is a simple, yet functional design with the added bonus of keeping unwanted pests from entering your home. Soffit vents and baffles work in tandem together, and you will usually find attic baffles between the rafters, or the roof sheathing in order to create protection for the soffit vents.
What is a baffle in attic insulation?
Baffles are a critical component to our attic insulation process that provides multiple benefits to a difficult construction aspect. Baffles are chutes that, when installed properly, can provide a channel for air to flow from your exterior soffit vents up into your attic space.
How to insulate around soffits and baffles?
The baffles should be installed tight against the underside of the roof sheathing and insulation should be installed all the way to the baffles with a barrier to keep the insulation from making its way to the soffit potentially blocking the soffit vents. Thanks for posting that pic. That might help with a reference point.
What is a baffle chute and how does it work?
Baffles are chutes that, when installed properly, can provide a channel for air to flow from your exterior soffit vents up into your attic space. That airflow is intended to churn the stale air in your attic which helps to remove moisture and control the temperature of your attic.
Do I need soffit baffles?
Are Attic Baffles Necessary? To have a properly airy and insulated roof, you'll want to have attic vents baffles. 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.
What do soffit vent baffles do?
Baffles are installed in the attic (or should be), wherever there is an intake vent (soffit vent). Baffles ensure proper airflow into your attic space. Baffles prevent vents from getting clogged by insulation and ensure a clear channel for outside air to move into the attic through soffit vents.
What is a baffles used for?
Baffles are flow-directing or obstructing vanes or panels used to direct a flow of liquid or gas. It is used in some household stoves and in some industrial process vessels (tanks), such as shell and tube heat exchangers, chemical reactors, and static mixers.
Do I need baffles if I don't have soffit vents?
Without them it is actually easier to insulate your attic, because you do not have to worry about covering up the vents or installing rafter baffles to ensure the vents breathe.
How do I know if my soffit vents are blocked?
A smoke test is the best way to check if your soffit vents are clear and unobstructed. To do this, you will need a smoke bomb or incense stick. Go into the attic, light the smoke bomb or incense stick, and hold it near the soffit vent. If the smoke gets drawn out of the attic, the vent is clear and working properly.
Where should baffles be installed?
Installing baffles between the roof's rafters and trusses will stop the insulation from blocking the airflow through the attic space. Baffles should be installed in the attic wherever there is an intake vent (soffit vent) to ensure proper airflow in the attic.
How do you install ceiling baffles?
2:2110:15How To Install Baffle Rafter Vents (Phillips Vision: Episode - 66)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAll the way up as far as you're going to be running the insulation if you're going all the way up toMoreAll the way up as far as you're going to be running the insulation if you're going all the way up to the tip to measure all that if not then wherever you're going to cut it. Off.
What are baffles made of?
In brief, baffles are designed to provide a channel of air to flow through specific parts of your attic. They are known are also known as wind baffle, insulation baffles, rafter vents or venting chutes. They are usually made from cardboard, or rigid foam board, or polyvinyl chloride.
What is the difference between bulkheads and baffles?
The baffles help to control the forward and backward liquid surge. Baffles divide the main tank into smaller tanks, and bulkheads just slow the flow of liquid to prevent liquid surge.
How do you tell if your attic is venting properly?
How to determine whether you need better attic ventilationLook at your eaves and roof. ... Touch your ceiling on a warm, sunny day. ... Thick ridges of ice on your eaves in winter are a sign of poor attic ventilation. ... Warm air that escapes living space also carries moisture that will condense on rafters or roof sheathing.
Does my attic need baffles?
If you have insulation in your attic, it is important that you prevent the insulation from blocking intake vents. Baffles also called rafter vents. attic baffles, insulation baffles, or vent baffles are designed to prevent insulation or other debris from blocking airflow into the attic.
Should you put insulation in soffits?
Answers. To answer simply: no, your soffits should not be insulated, and there is a chance that your insulation has been damaged by this.
Do I need baffles with batt insulation?
Baffles are required anywhere the insulation can block vents or get too close non-insulation rated recessed fixtures (can lights). Mostly we use insulation baffles prevent blockage of soffit vents from blown in insulation. Batt insulation can simply be held back and physical baffling isn't really needed.
Do rafter vents help?
Rafter vents, often called baffles protect intake vents in your attic from becoming clogged or covered by insulation or debris. Rafter vents ensure the soffit vents are clear and there is a channel for outside air to move into the attic at the soffits and out through roof vents.
How do you install soffit baffles?
2:2110:15How To Install Baffle Rafter Vents (Phillips Vision: Episode - 66)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAll the way up as far as you're going to be running the insulation if you're going all the way up toMoreAll the way up as far as you're going to be running the insulation if you're going all the way up to the tip to measure all that if not then wherever you're going to cut it. Off.
What is a rafter vent or baffle?
Rafter vents are used to protect the opening (for airflow) in your attic. Attic rafter vents are also known as baffles. It ensures a clear soffit vent which enables the channel for the outside air to be transversed into the attic and flow out through the roof vents.
What is the red line in a baffle?
Red line is the baffle. The red box is batt insulation to plug the space if you will
How big is the gap between OSB roof sheathing boards?
The 1-2" gap between the OSB roof sheathing boards is not inspiring.
Do ridge vents work with soffit vents?
As noted before, soffit vents work best with ridge vents. See Dr. Lstiburek here. But some cold country builders warn of ridge vents being blocked by snow. They're not used where I build for that reason.
Is there air space between insulation and the underside of the roof sheathing?
There should be an air space between the insulation and the under side of the roof sheathing.
Can you use ridge vents?
You can use ridge vent or root vents.
Is a roof a hip or a gable?
Your roof is a "clipped gable" not a hip. Looks to be raised heel trusses, fiberglass batts as a dam for blow-in is fine. The baffles can be sliced to not die into the chord, those are just foam and allow air to squeeze past the insulation that is blocking the soffit. It may be caught during insulation inspection, if not or if the builder doesn't, do it yourself later. Boxed vents ("turtle") are used when there is not enough ridge to provide the necessary free vent area, common on hipped roofs.
What are attic baffles made of?
They are usually made from cardboard, or rigid foam board, or polyvinyl chloride. The beauty of attic baffles is that they are available from most home-improvement stores, and can be installed simply with a few staples if you want the DIY approach.
Why not have a baffle in the attic?
If you opt not to have an attic baffle you could potentially be leaving your home to additional debris and moisture to enter through the soffit vents. If this does happen, the soffit vents will not function as best as they should, and therefore supporting the formation of mold or fungi rather than preventing it.
What are Attic Baffles?
Attic baffles are installed in homes that have a roof with soffit vents.
How Many Attic Baffles Do I Need?
During the summer season, most people need to keep their attic cool er and the benefit of this is that it can increase the life of the roof, and also save money on air conditioning bills.
Do I Need Baffles in Every Rafter?
To ensure that the baffles work correctly, there should be one placed between every rafter.
Do I Need Baffles If no Soffit Vents?
If you do not have soffit vents, then there is no need to have baffles.
How Much Does It Cost to Install Attic Baffles?
This is one of the most sought-after questions regarding the best attic baffles that you can install in your home. Similar to everything else, the cost of installing attic baffles can vary from one place/expert to another.
Are Baffles in Attic Necessary?
An insulated attic requires proper airflow, and you need to remember that your attic’s airflow comes from the outside and is then pushed underneath the roof and out of the vent.
What are baffles made of?
Baffles come in a variety of materials including foam, plastic, or cardboard. At Ecotelligent Homes, we use foam baffles for Michigan homes. The foam baffles hold up in Michigan’s humidity, whereas cardboard baffles can absorb moisture causing them to fall and be ineffective.
What is baffle insulation?
Baffles are a critical component to our attic insulation process that provides multiple benefits to a difficult construction aspect.
How to improve comfort of exterior rooms?
Improve the comfort of exterior rooms by reducing heat and air losses.
Does Michigan require baffles?
Michigan residential construction code requires a baffle be installed in every cavity; however, at Ecotelligent Homes we don’ t treat the code as the gold standard, we treat it as the bare minimum allowed.
What is a smart baffle?
SmartBaffle is designed for use with fiberglass insulation, loose fill insulation or spray foam insulation. SmartBaffle will keep the insulation away from blocking the intake air from the soffit. Air will travel up through the chute created by the SmartBaffle. SmartBaffle is also designed for rugged, unbreakable use and handling.
How wide is a smart baffle?
After installed, the SmartBaffle is 14″ wide with 2″ flanges. These insulation baffles are strong enough to support spray foam expanding insulation creating the required air chute most shingle manufacturers require for shingle warranties. Each piece can be very easily cut in half using a standard utility knife.
How much air flow does a SmartBaffle24 allow?
SmartBaffle16 and SmartBaffle24 are designed to allow 2” of air flow between 16” and 24” on center rafter spaces , respectively. Wider or narrower rafter spaces can be accomplished by following the directions enclosed with the product. Any installation questions please contact DCI Products at 1-800-622-4455
Can SmartBaffle be installed in existing buildings?
Answer: They can definitely be install in existing buildings. SmartBaffle is easily installed from inside the attic also. Because SmartBaffle has a 2″ airspace it bypasses all the roofing nails making is very easy to install. It also spans the entire rafter bay to give full airflow, maximizing the ventilation system. Call or send us a message, if we can help with any other questions.
