improperly sized baffles in attic.....

968 Views | 3 Replies | Last: 1 mo ago by BrazosDog02
deadhead aggie
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AG
so, i had a contractor install baffles in my attic to improve the ventilation and prevent interior condensation build-up (where my walls meet the ceiling). a thermal imaging guy confirmed that this would fix my problem.

my rafter bays are 23" and i incorrectly assumed that the contractor would install 23" baffles. they installed 15". do you think the 15" will still suffice for improving the air flow? or, is this a start all over issue?

for peace of mind, i cut a bunch of 23" x 23" squares of insulation for the contractor to place at the base of each baffle in the hopes of also improving the insulation and preventing condensation build-up.

thanks.
tgivaughn
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AG
Well, most in the biz strongly suggest full-length aka continuous soffit & ridge vents to be closest to ideal attic ventilation, so it follows that full-width baffles as sold everywhere would also be best.

That said, if your house has only 15" wide soffit vents and somehow/someway your new narrow baffles exactly lined up with these, then the contractor might be looking so guilty of profit-thinking. Still, the sq.in. opening of baffle would be less than that of the soffit vent.

You might want to get the contractor's defense statement before ripping them out.
If all else fails and baffles remain ... suptin better than nuttin
IMHO and am sticking to it
deadhead aggie
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AG
i appreciate the response.

so, the contractor ordered 23" baffles, but picked-up the wrong order at Home Depot. he probably should have noted the issue as soon as he opened the box, but........

the contractor's boss owned-up to the error and said he could rip and replace at not charge. however, he said that he's seen many houses that have smaller baffles that still get the job done. we're gonna give it a month to see how things work-out. if it works, i'm still gonna hit him up for the material cost differential between the 15" and 23"......which isn't a whole heck of alot.
BrazosDog02
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AG
I don't believe the baffle size is going to matter. The only thing that matters is that the baffles create adequate channels for airflow. You can do that with 23" baffles, 15" baffles, a pvc pipe stuffed in the bay, etc. See how it performs and go from there.
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