How do I cover the outside vents around my house?
by
Frances
+3
I have an older brick home. The vents are as old. Need something DIY to hold over to warmer weather and have new ones put in. It's really cold outside.
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Radiator mesh would work as a temporary fix. You can't block the vents completely, the house needs to breathe.
Are you referring to vents in the roof or on the eaves? That would make a difference.
Any vents or exhausts are needed for moisture control(eaves-roof) or venting fumes from inside house from furnace waterheater etc.. They should not be blocked. Maybe you need additional better insulation,in attic/crawl spaces.Where are the "vents" you're talikng about.
Around the crawl space at the bottom of the house. Not the eaves/roof.
I just did this! Yes! The vents around the house in the crawl space need to be blocked during the winter. I got a high R-rated thick styrofoam type board and cut as many as needed to a little larger than the size of the vent. Then I pushed the cut styrofoam into the vent from the outside. It's holding, and think it will through the winter.
A neighbor cut inch thick boards with cheap pulls on them to cover the vents.
Today's UBC (Universal Building Code) does not recommend vented crawl spaces. It is recommended that a heavy tarp be laid over the dirt in the crawl space and up the sides.
If you can remove the covers, do so and then stuff insulation into the pipe and put the cover back on until you can around to changing them.