Title: Need Advice On Replacing An Old Leaky Roof
That’s pretty much the crossroads I hit a couple years back, except my attic was a total mess—old insulation, weird framing, and not a straight line in sight. I remember standing up there, flashlight in hand, wondering if adding a ridge vent would even make a difference with how chopped up everything was. My neighbor swore by his ridge vent, but his house is newer and way more “by the book” than mine.
I ended up patching in new soffit vents and kept the gable vents open, mostly because I just couldn’t stomach cutting into the roof deck again. It’s been two winters and a summer since then. No visible moisture or mold so far, but I do sometimes wonder if I’m just getting lucky or if it’s actually working as intended. Have you noticed any temperature swings in your attic since you made the switch? Mine still gets toasty in July, but nothing wild.
One thing that tripped me up was how much conflicting info is out there—some folks say mixing gable with ridge vents can mess with airflow, others say it’s fine as long as you’ve got enough intake. I guess it depends on the house? Sometimes I think these “rules” are more like guidelines for ideal conditions, but most of us are just making do with what we’ve got.
Curious if you had to tweak anything after your first season or if it’s been pretty much set-and-forget. I keep checking for condensation after big storms just in case... probably overkill, but better safe than sorry.