Baffles — The Small Part That Keeps Your Attic Breathing

Blocked soffits are the #1 ventilation defect we document

An attic dries itself by moving air — in low at the soffits, out high at the roof vents. When decades of insulation get pushed tight into the eaves, the intake corks shut, the airflow dies, and moisture that sneaks into the attic has no way out. In one Scarborough bungalow, that combination left mold staining across virtually the whole roof deck.

Baffles prevent exactly that: a channel at each rafter bay keeps a clear air gap between the roof deck and the insulation, so the insulation can be blown deep — right out over the wall plates where heat loss is worst — without suffocating the attic.

Part of every proper attic job — and a fix on their own

• Before every blow-in — baffles at every open rafter bay are a non-negotiable line in our attic insulation scope, not an add-on
• During removals and rebuilds — a bare attic is the best access the eaves will ever have
• As a retrofit — when an older job skipped them and the soffits are packed solid, clearing the eaves and setting baffles restores the intake
• Alongside air sealing — sealing keeps house moisture out of the attic; baffles let what still gets in escape

Baffles, answered