Venting For Attached Garage Attic

[rmorton]

We moved into a new to us house that is about 6 years old and the garage has been an oven since the summer is here. We into the garage attic and discovered that there is no insulation. Oh well something else to get accomplished. While I was up poking around I did notice that while the roof has ridge vents the nice ventilated soffit is totally closed off. Closer inspection and it appears that the soffits were created by building a ladder out of 2X4's and nailing the ladder to the side of the trusses. Can the trusses be drilled to allow air passage? If they can be drilled, how big of a hole and what type of spacing? Sure don't want to destroy the integrity of the truss system but can see no other way to get air flow through the soffit and out the ridge vents. Thanks for any help and insight on how best to fix this. Yes, the insulation will go in as soon as I can solve the ventilation problem.

[jmeehan]

I don't know about the venting other than to suggest what you have described is almost totally non-functional.

I would not bother adding insulation. 90% of any benefit you are going to get is going to come from correcting the vent problem.

I am assuming a detached garage. If it is attached, then there will be some MINIMAL advantage to adding insulation both above and in outside walls.

[HeyBub]

It would take a LOT of holes to allow sufficient air volume. Is there no other way to the outside? A gable vent? A vent in the ceiling?

What if you were imprisoned in the attic, how would you get out?

[rmorton]

Thanks for the reply. I realized it would take a number of holes based on diameter drilled. That was the reason for the question of how large of a hole can be drilled in the top stringer of a truss without destroying the strength. There is one end that a gable vent could be inserted in but was always told not to mix ridge vents and gable or roof vents as the air flow only effects a small portion of the attic.