Replies

1. Expert Member
   Akos | May 13, 2022 09:23pm | #1

   You don't want a gap as pest will get in there. What you want is a continuous perf vent strip like this:

   https://maibec.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/maibec-technical-sheet-ventilated-soffite.pdf

   Box stores sell a version that is a simple hat shape that will also work.

   If you go with black ones, I find it is best to put this right by the top of the wall at the first soffit board. This way it pretty much disappears into the shadow and it is not noticeable at all.

   Bit more work, you can also router a slot in the soffit boards and staple hardware cloth above it. The area of the slot should match the required ventilation area for your roof.

1. 
   derekr | May 13, 2022 09:25pm | #2

   This is just a very small roof that sticks out from the larger roof it’s like 5x7 the venting is 5 feet on each side, I could cut the 1x8s in half so I could have more slots but narrower

2. Expert Member
   MALCOLM TAYLOR | May 13, 2022 09:28pm | #3

   Derek,

   If you are spacing the boards and covering the spaces between them with insect screen, you first need to calculate how much total venting the roof requires, and then see what that amounts to in terms of the voids between the boards. The total area will be either 1:150, or 1:300.
   http://airvent.com/images/138_irc_2018.pdf

   I'm not keen on relying on insect screen, especially when it is attached to the top of the soffit material, as it is easily damaged, and difficult to access to re-install.

1. 
   derekr | May 13, 2022 09:29pm | #4

   This is a small dormer that connects to the larger roof, 5 feet of venting on each side

   Like standard vinyl soffit has 5 inches of airflow i think? I forget how they word it, how much space would need to be between the board just to achieve the same amount of airflow that vinyl soffits provide

   Edit: Ok I figured the dormer has 35 sqft of attic space and the larger part it’s connected to has 170 sqft