What Is a Soffit Vent?

A soffit vent is simply a vent installed into the underside of your home's eaves (called the soffit) that permits fresh outside air to be drawn up into the attic. Almost all homes are fitted with some kind of roof vents at the peak of the roofline, be it individual roof vents, hip roof ventilation, and many homes have gable vents as well. These provide some ventilation, but when used in conjunction with a soffit vent, they work much more efficiently. Cooler fresh air is drawn up through the soffit at the base of your roof and hot and humid air is expelled through the roof vents at the top. Continuous or Individual? There are two main types of these vents available on the market today. The first are called continuous soffit vents. They come in long, narrow vents that run the full length of your soffit. These are best suited for narrow eaves, but can be used on any home. Individual vents are more common, and are cut to fit in between your soffit joists. Their popularity no doubt stems ...  more