Ventilation Louvres

Would soffit vents cause a house to be more drafty in the living space?

I have an older block home with siding. The only insulation in the home is in the attic floor joists. The home has two gable vents. It is also built with that breathing space with firring strips between the block and drywall. This space runs from the attic to basement. I vented the soffits by nothching out the wood and adding vented soffit siding, cause the house had no vent holes in the soffit at all. My concern now is that in an attempt to make the attic cooler, I actually made the house colder and harder to heat in the winter. Any opinions welcome.

Public Comments

1. if done correctly no, if done incorrectly possibly yes
2. Not likely. Installing the soffit vents was a good idea, as most homes have inadequate ventilation. Look elsewhere for your drafts-- along the floor where it meets the wall, around window frames and around the windows themselves. Also look at plumbing holes. Buy insulation gaskets for your outlets and light switches. replace the weatherstrip on your doors if inadequate-- all of these areas can cause serious air leakage. Your attic area is outside the building envelope, so any air movement up there isn't likely to impact your interior, unless the light fixtures also have no insulation (needs to be fiberglass) over them-- then warm air would escape into the attic, along with moisture.
3. Here is a great site that I refer to all the time for insulation R-values and ventilation. Great advice for new building and older homes. Be careful when insulating around lights. There is a clearance to heed to prevent fires, unless you have specific rated lights which allow it. http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/insulation/insulation.pdf