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Correct Orientation for Soffit Vent Louvers?

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L

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Jun 2, 1999, 3:00:00 AM6/2/99
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I will be adding 8"x16" louver vents for my soffits. Which way should
the louvers face - towards or away from the wall of the house, or does
it not matter? A better way to describe the the orientation might be:
when I face the house from the street, should I see through the vent
louvers into the soffit hole, or should the louvers prevent me from
seeing through the vent? All louvers face in one direction, as opposed
to some vents where louvers face in both directions.


Daniel Hicks

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Jun 3, 1999, 3:00:00 AM6/3/99
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Generally they are placed with the vents facing the house, for cosmetic
reasons. With the vents facing the house you see all metal vs all open
space when you look at the vents from a normal viewing position. Since
the metal is usually painted the soffit color, the vents become
essentially invisible. If the vents faced the other direction then
you'd see dark spots where the vents were.

Jack Swedberg

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Jun 3, 1999, 3:00:00 AM6/3/99
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Daniel Hicks wrote in message <375605EF...@home.com>...

some vents where louvers face in both directions.
>
>Generally they are placed with the vents facing the house, for cosmetic
>reasons. With the vents facing the house you see all metal vs all open
>space when you look at the vents from a normal viewing position. Since
>the metal is usually painted the soffit color, the vents become
>essentially invisible. If the vents faced the other direction then
>you'd see dark spots where the vents were.

If you can survive the cosmetics, theoretically, the openings should face
outwards, so as to provide the largest opening to the great outdoors. This
will minimize any convective heating or cooling of the air going through the
soffets because of the exposed exterior wall surfaces.
These surfaces can absorb a lot of heat from the sun or cold from ice/snow
below the soffet openings.
I admit, this may be a minor concern.
You also avoid radiant heat transfer through the soffet from the outside
walls.

Please feel free to comment.

Best regards,

Jack


Daniel Hicks

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Jun 4, 1999, 3:00:00 AM6/4/99
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Yeah, in theory facing out would be cooler, but I doubt that the
difference is that great, whereas the cosmetic difference is quite
significant.

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