Roof Ventilation 4180 sw 99th

Questions

(1) Which rafter vents should I use? Lowes Hillsboro (2022 August 30) has many in stock, and their customer reviews are good. Home Depot is ship-to-store only, I can't shop and examine materials.

From Lowe's web page:

• Durovent 22x48-in Raft(?) Vent - foamed polystyrene. (probably no)

• ADO Products Rafter Vent with Baffle 24?x46-in. White emits/absorbs less infrared, better insulation. Baffle protects soffit vents.

  • polystyrene - one reviewer calls them "egg crate material", too fragile? (maybe no)

  • I would prefer a vent shaped and colored like this but a more durable plastic.

• proVent 22x48-in Rafter Vent. Black, may be more durable plastic, emits more infrared. Won't bend, won't keep old insulation out of soffit vents. (maybe yes)

. Are there commercial suppliers near Portland with more choices and better materials for rafter vents?

(2) Do bugs/bees/wasps build nests in the airspaces? I can inspect the long/skinny spaces with my borescope.

• Cleanout: If the plastic vents are stapled, removal will damage them. If I use lath-screws, I can remove and replace the vents. I will probably use staples as you recommend. I have a hammer stapler, but I will use a hand/lever stapler if that works better.
• I have adhesive plastic patches that I can put over the spots where I staple or screw. That will reduce strain and tears.

Notes

When we bought the house, the attic insulation was a few inches of loose black fibrous stuff. I shoved that towards the edges and put in two layers of Owens-Corning Roll insulation (parallel then across the ceiling joists.

To help with that task, I built a two foot wide particle-board and 2x4 "slide" the length of the attic, running from the old ceiling hatch in the hallway to a new hinged 2x4 foot steel hatch on the garage side, with a fold-down ladder. . . That hatch is wide enough to fit a sheet of plywood through, if necessary. Kludgy-looking, but it works well. Probably needs more fireproofing at the edges of the hatch.