# Soffit - a hot air post



## Mellissam (Oct 27, 2009)

A typical house has soffit vents running below eaves with a ridge/roof vent. Now, if you had a dormer style shed, you'd put soffit vents on the low and high side, with the high side in lieu of a ridge vent. 
Now about the placement of the vent on high side...this may seem silly, but where exactly on the high side would one put the strip vent? I've given it some thought..too much in fact. Part of me says vent should be as high as possible to allow moisture laden air to escape, to get a little more shelter as fascia drops down an inch...the other part says maybe it should be lower to allow any possible water to drain out vent and to reduce the Bernoulli effect during winds (impact winds on face of high side will likely exhaust more air if vent is closer to fascia). I wouldn't expect to see a difference if wind was washing up the roof. 
On low side, strip vent near fascia seems logical. 
Without throwing shed in wind tunnel and measuring exhaust flow, where would you put the strip vent on high side? low-middle-high?


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## greg24k (May 19, 2007)

At the ridge.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

Your thinking about putting it nearer to the fascia seems correct


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## ScipioAfricanus (Sep 13, 2008)

Closer to the fascia is what I say too. If I understand what it is that you are saying.



Look at that, Greg has 4k posts.


Andy.


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## greg24k (May 19, 2007)

ScipioAfricanus said:


> Closer to the fascia is what I say too. If I understand what it is that you are saying.
> 
> Look at that, Greg has 4k posts.
> 
> Andy.


It calls for celebration !


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## Rio (Oct 13, 2009)

I would think how I was going to finish off the soffit and place it so I wouldn't have to cut a strip if using siding, otherwise I don't think it's going to make any significant difference where it's placed, the air will still be circulating in its vicinity enough.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

putting up directly against the wall could pump moisture in to the soffit when prevailing winds hits the wall


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## EricBrancard (Jun 8, 2012)

Is the ceiling of the shed going to be open or finished?


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## Mellissam (Oct 27, 2009)

EricBrancard said:


> Is the ceiling of the shed going to be open or finished?


Finished, otherwise I wouldn't have put in soffit vents. 
This is what I did...


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## tenon0774 (Feb 7, 2013)

Okay,

Guess I'll be the jagoff...

The vents look like they were put in "upside-down" / inverted. ?

...unless I'm missing something...

-Scott


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

does it really matter Scott?Besides how they look i mean?


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## tenon0774 (Feb 7, 2013)

Tom Struble said:


> does it really matter Scott?Besides how they look i mean?


:blink:

Guess not.

Won't affect air flow.

Just never seen them installed that way.

Guess I just got caught up in that form, following function mumbo jumbo...


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

tenon0774 said:


> The vents look like they were put in "upside-down" / inverted. ?
> ...unless I'm missing something...
> -Scott





tenon0774 said:


> :blink:
> Won't affect air flow.
> Just never seen them installed that way.
> Guess I just got caught up in that form, following function mumbo jumbo...


They look upside down to me too:blink:
Or all the ones I've ever installed or seen were done upside down:blink:


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## Mellissam (Oct 27, 2009)

tenon0774 said:


> :blink:
> 
> Guess not.
> 
> ...


I don't know about that...this way, you hide the cut. The other way would have it sitting on top of ply exposing cut, which also would be a fun install. This way was easy as I got a snug fit - just pressed in and threw in a few screws (although the other way no screws). I did consider having it sit on top like I did in previous shed, but that was a different beast (double roof business). 
I over-analyze things...a plus for this route is access. for what I don't know...lol...lights?
Hmmmm...6 one, half dozen the other...????


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## Mellissam (Oct 27, 2009)

I will say, I am not a fan a of no bleeding access into soffits...I bought a cottage with soffits tighter than....
Of course, I ended up doing a number on the J brackets and broke a plastic vent. You'd think the last one installed would be loose, but I know the guy who did the exterior...he doesn't miss an opportunity to close the door, as it were....
Was wiring security cameras and power outlet...


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## Bone Saw (Feb 13, 2006)

if it were a project of mine, I'd do it one of two ways,

leave the sheathing and fascia 1/2" short at the top plumb cut and use c5.5 edge with a 1/2" offset from tight

or

run the fascia all the way up, and leave a 1" gap in the sheathing at top, and use vented drip with c5.5 over that


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## Mellissam (Oct 27, 2009)

Bone Saw said:


> if it were a project of mine, I'd do it one of two ways,
> 
> leave the sheathing and fascia 1/2" short at the top plumb cut and use c5.5 edge with a 1/2" offset from tight
> 
> ...


I like your ideas:thumbsup:...had to look up what a C5.5 was...http://www.bergerbp.com/catalog.html (page 3)
Guess I could have subbed the metal roof cap instead of getting a c5.5. 
Not sure how well that would stay on with just tapping bolts into ribs of roof. Also, moving fascia down would mean ripping it or buying 2x8...Oh I see, one could put in blocks to support edge of cap.
The bottom side would have worked no problem, as I had to install a drip edge anyways... doh. 
I'd still have to stuff the eaves with ply though...

It's tough on jobs like these...out comes the violin....guy wants a mini house for the price of a kit shed....btw - he has two of those...:laughing:
Then the neighbor offloads on me  (you name it he said it)...appears having a rather cool shed perched over his deck isn't to his liking. I see where is coming from, but he did get his cottage for a song for exactly that reason...
Going to go hide now....will post pics later...


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## Mellissam (Oct 27, 2009)

Finished...more or less...


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