As a follow up to this question, I have two 54' x 3 " gaps running the length of an overhang in my roof supposedly for venting. I believe these to be the point of entry for some squirrels and who knows what else. I bought the house as a foreclosure, and when I asked the housing inspector about it, he indicated they were by design for "venting." At the time I thought, great no rodent on my roof will have a hard time getting in there. Turns out that was true. Would covering these with a screen be the best course of action for preventing entry? I feel like that would barely slow them down.
What is the best way to seal this? I would try running the length with sub-flooring, but that seems like it would exclude the "venting" idea if that is in fact needed.
If screen is the best choice, is there a material, grade, mesh, and/or thickness that would be recommended?
Is this on the money when it recommends:
The use of ½-inch x ½-inch screen is a reasonable compromise between
ventilation requirements and rodent control.
Best Answer
The soffit vents are an important part of keeping airflow under your roof, lowering your cooling costs in the summer, and preventing ice dams in the winter.
You can screen over the gap, but I would look for a soffit vent strip that you can fit into the gap to give it a nice look and prevent any animals, or even insects, from getting in. My newest ridge vent included a plastic mesh underneath that wouldn't rot but would keep out any leaves and most insects. If you can find something like this for your soffit vent, that would be the best of both worlds: decent appearance without any bugs.