Which soffit vent should I install (size and angle)

soffit

Two part question: big or small vent size, and parallel or perpendicular to house?

I'm going to install almost 40 of these soffit vents around my house. All the vents at my Home Depot are 16" wide, so when I hang them parallel to the house (traditional), the corners all fall over a groove. Not ideal.

The 16" vent width matches the 16" 3-panel metal sheet width, so I can offset them and have vents overlapping panels. I'm concerned I'll be forced to make more and smaller size cuts with this strategy.

Another option is to install them perpendicular to house. It looks kind of funny, but both sizes vents would fit out of grooves better. But I'm afraid it'll scream "doesn't know jack" to everyone, especially potential buyers.

Also, should I use the bigger or smaller size, since I'm installing them under every other 16" attic bay? Bigger vent costs about 90% more.

I'm might use the smaller vents perpendicular to house, but what do you think? Thanks in advance.

BTW, I can get the smaller vents in white also.
BBTW, I forgot pic of bigger size perpendicular to house, but it covers two of the "bay" sections, with a groove running down the middle so the middle screws might be a hassle.

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Best Answer

Given the options (and I still agree with my earlier post and Greebo's answer of "none of the above, replace your soffit with a vented version"), I'll go with option B.

Some other thoughts:

  • Get a good seal between the vent and your existing soffit, which would won't be able to do with your first or last option.
  • Make sure there's a screen of some kind in those vents to keep out the bugs, bees, and anything else that would enjoy making a home in your attic. This is why I suggest you get a good seal to the soffit.
  • Make sure the insulation is not touching the roof and that there's a clear path for the air to flow from the soffit to the ridge vent.
  • Finally, if you can get a plastic soffit vent, I'd go for that. You'll reduce the risk of corrosion and it will blend in better.
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