Why attics need air
Attics need to breathe. Air flow carries out moisture and excess heat. Without it, moisture builds up. Mold grows. Wood rots. Insulation gets damp and stops working.
How the flow works
Cool air enters low through soffit vents under the eaves. It travels up along the roof. Warm, moist air exits high through ridge vents or roof vents. In low, out high. That is the whole system.
The parts
Soffit vents. The intake. They sit under the eaves. They must stay clear of insulation.
Ridge vents. The exhaust. They run along the roof peak and let air out along the whole roof.
Baffles. Foam channels that keep insulation from blocking the soffits. Small parts, big job.
Box and turbine vents. Older exhaust styles. They work, but ridge vents do it more evenly.
What goes wrong
Insulation crews bury soffit vents. It is the most common vent failure we see. Bath fans vent into the attic instead of outside, pumping moisture into the wood. Mixed vent types fight each other and stall the flow.
Balance matters
Intake and exhaust must roughly match. All exhaust and no intake starves the flow. All soffit and no ridge traps heat at the peak. We map both sides before we change anything.
Vents plus insulation
The best attic has both: full-depth insulation below, clear air flow above. We set baffles first, then blow insulation. The vents stay open and the insulation stays dry.
Call (301) 679-9193 for a free attic inspection.