How do ridge and soffit vents work together?
They form a system: soffit vents at the eaves let cool air in (intake), and the ridge vent at the peak lets warm, moist air out (exhaust). The two have to be balanced and both clear for natural airflow to move through the attic. If intake and exhaust are mismatched, or either is blocked, the airflow short-circuits or stalls.
What are common ridge and soffit vent problems?
The most common issues are soffit vents painted over, screened shut, or buried under insulation, a ridge vent that's missing, undersized, or installed over a roof deck that was never cut open, and mixing a ridge vent with powered or box vents that pull air from each other instead of from the soffits. Each of these defeats the airflow.
What happens if the vents are unbalanced?
An unbalanced system can pull air the wrong way. For example, a ridge vent with too little soffit intake may draw air down through the ridge or through other openings, short-circuiting the attic. The result is the same as no ventilation at all: trapped moisture, condensation on the sheathing, ice dams, and shingles that cook in summer.
How are vent problems corrected?
Fixes depend on what's wrong: clearing or adding soffit vents, installing or properly cutting in a ridge vent, balancing intake to exhaust, or removing competing powered vents. The aim is a clean, balanced soffit-to-ridge path. We document the specific defect so a roofer corrects the right part rather than guessing — we don't quote prices.
How do you inspect ridge and soffit vents?
From the exterior we confirm soffit vents are present and clear and that there's a ridge or roof exhaust. From inside the attic we verify the ridge vent is actually open to the attic and that intake reaches it, and we look for the frost, staining, and ice-dam signs of a stalled system. It's all photographed in your 24-hour report.
