# Retrofitting attic baffles



## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

12" x 48" 1/4 plywood nail a 1x1 x 48" on each side and hope you miss nails on the way down, years ago they called for every third bay. Missing one here and there may not be the end of the world.


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## brendelac (Sep 19, 2014)

Nealtw said:


> 12" x 48" 1/4 plywood nail a 1x1 x 48" on each side and hope you miss nails on the way down, years ago they called for every third bay. Missing one here and there may not be the end of the world.


Thanks. With the styrofoam baffles, they get stapled to the underside of the roof deck. What would be the best way to secure a plywood baffle?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

brendelac said:


> Thanks. With the styrofoam baffles, they get stapled to the underside of the roof deck. What would be the best way to secure a plywood baffle?


The bottom end should be held up with insulation just drive a screw into the sheeting at the top just make sure they don't come out the top of the roof. On new house they just staple the top and stuff batt insulation above the wall to hold it in place and block the hole so loose insulation does not fall out.


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## brendelac (Sep 19, 2014)

Nealtw said:


> The bottom end should be held up with insulation just drive a screw into the sheeting at the top just make sure they don't come out the top of the roof. On new house they just staple the top and stuff batt insulation above the wall to hold it in place and block the hole so loose insulation does not fall out.


OK. I'm a bit hesitant to use screws, but I'll figure something out. I found a youtube video with the same idea, although he doesn't mention securing it the roof deck and I don't really understand what's he's done with the push stick idea and how it removes once installed.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

See the duct on the left, the sheet metal guys make these flat things and put them between joists on an angle and tap them into place. they bite into the wood and hold the duct up..


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## brendelac (Sep 19, 2014)

Nealtw said:


> See the duct on the left, the sheet metal guys make these flat things and put them between joists on an angle and tap them into place. they bite into the wood and hold the duct up..


That would work too, thanks. I was thinking if I made them to the exact width of the trusses that I could fasten them to the trusses rather than to the roof, but then I would lose the ability of shifting them side-to-side to avoid the roofing nails. 

Do I need to use foam sealant around the soffit end of the baffle?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

brendelac said:


> That would work too, thanks. I was thinking if I made them to the exact width of the joists that I could fasten them to the joists rather than to the roof, but then I would lose the ability of shifting them side-to-side to avoid the roofing nails.
> 
> *Do I need to use foam sealant around the soffit end of the baffle*?


 No you are doing this for air flow a little extra won't hurt.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

brendelac said:


> That would work too, thanks. I was thinking if I made them to the exact width of the trusses that I could fasten them to the trusses rather than to the roof, but then I would lose the ability of shifting them side-to-side to avoid the roofing nails.
> 
> Do I need to use foam sealant around the soffit end of the baffle?


I have seen one other thing used. The guy used the light weight 2" pvc they use for built in vacuums, he cut them in half length ways and put a bunch of these half pipes in. Just a thought when nothing else works,


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## brendelac (Sep 19, 2014)

Nealtw said:


> I have seen one other thing used. The guy used the light weight 2" pvc they use for built in vacuums, he cut them in half length ways and put a bunch of these half pipes in. Just a thought when nothing else works,


Options are a good thing. Thanks again.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Building your own baffles is a common practice and can provide a little more vent space than the pre-built ones.

Here's a good article on exactly what you are asking:
I'll look for another link, thanks neal

Bud


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Bud9051 said:


> Building your own baffles is a common practice and can provide a little more vent space than the pre-built ones.
> 
> Here's a good article on exactly what you are asking:
> http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/articles/dept/musings/site-built-ventilation-baffles-roofs
> ...


 That site offers a membership and when you say no thanks it takes you somewhere else.:vs_mad:


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

PIA, they are doing that more and more. Tried again and got the membership page but did the google for "site built air baffles GBA" and then copied the link from the GBA option. Tested it several times and seemed to get in without the membership page.
Try this:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...affles-roofs&usg=AOvVaw3EZjEpGVVtIH4Evm1g7fF-

Bud


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Bud9051 said:


> PIA, they are doing that more and more. Tried again and got the membership page but did the google for "site built air baffles GBA" and then copied the link from the GBA option. Tested it several times and seemed to get in without the membership page.
> Try this:
> https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...affles-roofs&usg=AOvVaw3EZjEpGVVtIH4Evm1g7fF-
> 
> Bud


 Same. same.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Argh! I'm not a member and just clicked and it went right through. Don't know what the difference is. Too big of an article to post here so will check for another source.

Bud

No luck on an alternate link, sorry


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Bud9051 said:


> Argh! I'm not a member and just clicked and it went right through. Don't know what the difference is. Too big of an article to post here so will check for another source.
> 
> Bud


 If anything can go wrong it will go wrong for me, just my lot in life.:wink2:


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## LEDlighting (Apr 16, 2018)

brendelac said:


> Has anyone tried making their own ridgid baffles (wood or otherwise) to retrofit in an already insulated attic? I tried the styrofoam baffles, but they get torn up on the roofing nails and I have to get so close to the soffits to be able to feed them through that I am basically face-down in the insulation with the roof (and nails) centimeters from the back of my head. If I were to make my own baffles, I'm hoping to be able to use a push stick to avoid the above unpleasantness.
> 
> My soffits are plywood and I was initially thinking about removing them and then installing the styrofoam baffles from the outside and then installing perforated soffits, but I think that I have enough venting in the current soffits so if I can leave them in place, I think that would be the easiest route.
> 
> Thoughts or suggestions? Thanks.


I did it and it was pretty easy. I used the black plastic baffles from Lowe’s. I bought the thinnest fence picket they had and used that to press the insulation down. Surprisingly, the roofing nails didn’t give me too much trouble. I used 1/4 inch staples to secure them. On the sections with the highest ceilings, I had to use a baffle and a half, which required me to reach down into the cavity to staple where they overlap. It was kind of tricky.


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