Roof soffit, weak link?

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losthighway
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Roof soffit, weak link?

Post by losthighway » Wed Jun 10, 2015 11:49 am

So my first round of framing is done on my new build (pictures will come, I swear). My contractor and I were laying some things out/ordering materials when I asked him about the gaps between the rafters of our roof. He explained that they're to let fresh air in/moisture out, but they'll be covered by soffit material on the outside.

My wonder was:

If I plug those gaps with wood will it cause serious moisture problems (I'm already going to be pumping fresh air in to the control room and live room since they're sealed)?

Will soffit material be enough to contain the sound of the outer layer of my room-within-a-room design?

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Post by floid » Wed Jun 10, 2015 2:21 pm

You need venting. Moisture leads to mold. This is for the attic space, not the room itself. The soffit vent pulls air in at the eave, which vents out at a gable or ridge vent. Plywood soffit with vent holes is probably going to contain sound better than vinyl soffit - these are the two most popular options. If you have attic space, it might be possible to design a more convoluted system that satisfies the same requirements.
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Post by norton » Thu Jun 11, 2015 5:42 am

Shouldn't be a problem.

You could investigate going to a hot roof model. This is where the insulation envelope goes all the way to the roofline itself. The hot roof is a non vented design, but isn't accepted as "code" everywhere.

Your inner envelope (room/room) should be fine.

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Post by losthighway » Thu Jun 11, 2015 7:34 am

Sorry, Norton, are you saying that a typical venting soffit scenario shouldn't be a problem for sound transmission, or that blocking off the rafters shouldn't be a problem for moisture?

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Post by norton » Fri Jun 12, 2015 8:55 am

Typical Vented roof scenario shouldn't be much of a problem as far as sound transmission goes. Your room within a room and attic insulation should cover any real world sound transmission concerns.

Taking the roof venting of the equation could pose problems.....unless that roof insulation system is redesigned to be a "hot roof". Which basically means that the insulation between the outside and your ceiling is sufficient enough to never allow the heat in your house to reach the shingles (outer roofing) and cause melting/moisture buildup. Generally this requires a blown in foam insulation type to create that perfect seal/moisture barrier.

If you've already got a vented roof system set up and have any budgetary concerns at all, I'd say you'll be A.O.K.!

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Post by losthighway » Sun Jun 14, 2015 10:53 am

Cool. You two form a consensus with my contractor. Traditional soffits it is!

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