venting old cape attics

[Tom144]

I would like some opinions about venting old cape attics that don't have soffits. Of course you want air flow from the lower attic spaces behinde the knee walls up and out the upper attic space. Without soffits for softit vents, what's the best way? I have seen roof edge vents but they make me nervous that water from ice damns in the gutters could back up and get into the wall from the vent. I have also seen small louvered vents cut in at the bottom of the gables to allow air into the lower attic space. What do you think?

[Darren]

http://www.airvent.com/homeowner/produc ... edge.shtml

[Tom144]

Thanks for the link. I have seen their site before. Do you think they live up to what they represent?

[Mike Lamb]

I don't believe I have ever seen attic moisture problems when there are unobstructed gable end louvres up at the ridge at each end of the house with no lower venting whatsoever.

[hausdok]

I don't believe I have ever seen attic moisture problems when there are unobstructed gable end louvres at each end of the house.

Come visit. You'll find lots.

OT - OT!!!

M.

[Mike Lamb]

I don't believe I have ever seen attic moisture problems when there are unobstructed gable end louvres at each end of the house.

Come visit. You'll find lots.

OT - OT!!!

M.

Of course, I believe you but I have found gable end vents with nothing else to work great regardless of insulation.

[Jim Morrison]

Personally, I don't think I'd go to any trouble to 'properly' vent a cape. It's prohibitively expensive and the benefits don't outweigh the cost.

Why do anything at all? Are you remodeling? Replacing the roof?

[kurt]

I'm with Jim.......I'd have to see something wrong before I pro-actively started venting an old cape.

Most of them were built pre-plywood and kinda loose; there's not much to trap moisture.

If I was remodeling, I'd spray the whole thing with foam and forget vents.

Trying to insulate capes conventionally (fiberglass & vents) is almost impossible to do effectively.