Should i use both gable vents and soffit vents?

Question

i have a ridge vent but i'm wondering should i also add gable and soffit vents? can you have too much ventilation?

Answer 1

No, don't use a combination of gable and ridge vent.  Ventilation should be balanced between the soffit and ridge OR gable OR box vents.  What can happen is too much ventilation up high (ie ridge and gable) can create a situation where there is no air flow being drawn from the soffit.  In fact, if you install ridge vent and gable vent, during rain and wind the ridge can draw rain through the gable vent into the attic.  So you can have too much ventilation up high.

You need to have one square foot of ventilation for every 150 sq.ft. of attic space, rule of thumb.  You may want to due a search "attic ventilation"  The ridge vent will say how much it vents.  Then the soffit should be the as close as possible to the same amount.  Another rule of thumb, but not always true, if you have a combination vented and solid soffit vinyl or aluminum, and a 12" overhang, use vented every third piece.  If you have pre-existing wood soffit, you can buy metal soffit vents, you cut a rectangle, and s***w the vent to the soffit.

But to the point, yes, you should have soffit vents of some type balanced with the ridge vent, so you have air flow from the soffit to the ridge.  Odds are the ridge vent is enough, you just need to add soffit vents.

Answer 2

You pretty much answered your own question. In your case OVERKILL can't hurt

Answer 3

I dont think you can have too much ventilation. I would just do the gable vents ( easy to do ) and add temp controlled fans. One sucking in air and one helping push it out.

I mounted mine using big rubber bungee cords to keep it quiet.