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I should have taken a picture, but didn't and I just remembered that I had a question. If I don't get it out there, I'll forget and then I won't ever get to finish my project.

I have a storage area that is off of our bonus room over the garage. It was uninsulated (except for the wall adjoining the room) so I am insulating it to make it a little more bearable while at the same time laying out plywood to floor it for actual use. What I came across while doing this, which brings up my question, was the roof line that actually goes into the attic. In each little channel, there is a styrofoam type piece that goes under/through the existing insulation into the attic itself and it was somethingVENT stamped on it. I can't tell what the something says as it's completely covered under the insulation. What my question is, can I cover that? Is it venting to the attic, or from the attic? Should I extend it down to where I won't have any insulation so the venting can still take place? To many questions. If anyone needs more, I'll try to remember to take a picture tonight so I can post it. Thanks!

Is the current floor insulated? Is the foam vent appear to be holding insulation back from the plywood/sheeting? Assuming so, YES, you want to get more channeling and extend that up. That air space is a critical part of the insulation (that roof get's HOT and the air space allows convection from the eves to the ridge/gable vents). My roofer would not guarantee the work on my roof unless all my channels and vents were clear.

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Dustin Fredrickson
-- I'm a nobody --

It sounds like you're talking about the spacers that allow airflow from your soffet venting. If you have one in each channel I assume that your soffet vent runs the entire length of the soffet...something to check anyway. I have vents every other channel and not one continuous soffet vent. Anyway, don't block the airflow. You need it to keep your roof healthy and your attic a bit cooler.

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Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

Yes you need to extend the little styrofoam vent channels before insulating currently exposed roof rafters. Just staple them in place to extend the ones you probably found near the floor, all the way up where you will be insulating.

You need an unobstructed air path from the soffet vents on the overhang, up along the roof rafters, and to the ridge vents at the very top of the roof. This is standard passive roof ventilation which cools the roof in summer and prevents icing in winter.

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Rock on! Thanks for the help guys! Even though it means more money to be spent.

You can get them at Lowes or HDepot, They are not too expensive, but as everyone has said necessary

You can use most anything that will keep an open air channel from eve to vent. hardboard, rigid foam board, even cardboard with spacers to hold it away from the underside of the sheathing. But it is hard to beat the price and convenience of the preformed foam ducts, just staple in place with a staple gun. Don't get anal about stapling, it's only to keep them from falling out until you insulate, once you put the insulation in place it will hold the ducts. Be sure to get the width that fits your rafter spacing, usually 16" on centers but occasionally 24".
If you are insulating all the way down to floor level, or the floor itself, add an insulation stop at the end of the rafters as well to keep the insulation from blocking the soffit vents.

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SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.