Soffit vents or open with hardware cloth?

[AZ RT89A]

What do you folks use for the underside of the roof overhang? Do you cover it with wood and install soffit vents or do you leave it all open and just cover it with cloth to keep unwanted guests out?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I use hardware cloth but not on the horizontal section. I leave that totally open and close off the vertical opening inside at the frame. Mine are probably framed up differently than yours.

Either one should work fine as long as they are installed firmly so a raccoon or such can’t just rip them out and the soffit vents are not a material the raccoon could just chew through. That would be my main concern, the materials the soffit vents are made from.

 

[tcstoehr]

I would leave it open and secure it with hardware cloth. I would think that soffit vents would not allow the same sort of air movement. Unless they're really big or numerous.

 

[aart]

I went with hardware cloth applied to the outside with screws and washers attached the shed siding, the rafter bottoms and the inside of the facia.

 

[jessieluv22]

This thread is a little old but was hoping to get some advice on the soffit vents. Would like to know how well they work. I'm a little worried about pockets of air forming above them not allowing good airflow out the vents.