Soffit Vents

[johno]

I need to fit soffit vents to the existing rectangular holes in the soffit boards. Most of the holes had been covered with chicken wire although this has long gone! I am looking at covering 20 of the beggars, so nothing too expensive, but at the same time not chicken wire!! The hole sizes are 220mm x 50mm. Any suggestions as to a supplier, a good trawl through Google has revealed nothing, although in the pastI do seem to recall Screwfix selling something suitable at a very reasonable price. Thanks

johno

[Andrew Gabriel]

I've only seen round vents, or continuous strip (but not that wide). Wickes sell sheets of welded mesh which is something like 8mm pitch which would keep birds out, but not insects. Years ago, I bought a large sheet of very fine brass mesh to fit over a larder window, but the place where I bought it no longer does that sort of thing.

[Andrew Mawson]

chicken

Sounds like the op needs a roll of what our American sparring partners call 'screen door mesh'. Various styles but the one I have in mind is a very stiff nylon mesh with about a 1mm pitch. Might even not be to expensive to buy a roll on US ebay

AWEM

[Lobster]

Same here - I was thinking they were odd shaped holes. Maybe you need to make up some rectangular patches of WBP plywood, with round holes in the middle to accept standard vents, and then fit these in position!

I *think* I may have seen finer mesh in B&Q actually - sold in sheets about 2' square?

David

[Geoff Beale]

Please have a look at this before you block your eave vents.

martins, swifts make no mess around the entrance holes. Thanks

[TheScullster]

"johno" wrote

For another similar application, I bought those pan cover mesh things (to stop fat flying when frying IYSWIM). Got them from the pound shop, so didn't break the bank.

Phil

[johno]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. The holes are already cut into the soffit boards (looks like asbestos board?) and as there are

20 of them I wanted something fairly quick and easy to fit before the nesting season gets into its stride! Looks like some form of mesh and a shot of gloop from a cartridge is the easy way. I have never seen swifts in the area, just hoards of starlings and I certainly dont want to encourage them!!!! Thanks again Johno

[Geoff Beale]

..........maybe because all the soffit vents are blocked ?? :)

Seriously, the site has advice on hole sizes to prevent starlings.

[Phil L]

each, just use white gripfast or similar adhesive - you may need a roll of duck tape and tape them overnight until the glue sets, or you could screw them, but asbestos doesn't hold screws too good and the dust off it can kill you. :-p

[johno]

PERFECT!!! I thought I had seen them in their catalogue a while back, but when I looked just recently I could not see them, now I know why. I was looking under soffit ventilation! Cheers, just the job. John