nealtw

Are you leaving the framing exposed or are yougoing to cover it?

AeR0

covered it with 1/2" and for the underneath i am staining it.

nealtw

If you had no blocks blocking the air flow you could just put vinyl soffit under the eves on the outside of your new beam.
You can cut some nice looking slots in the plywood and staple window screening over the hole before you put it up.
Prety much anything that pleases you and your wallet that lets air into the attic will work, It does want to be screened.

notmrjohn

There are several "continuous" soffit vents that are easy to install. Various widths from Hardie Plank. ( It or a lighter weight, easier to cut one piece soffit and vent, mebbee masonite peg board would be easiest to install.) Vinyl, similar to what you have but a long piece. Metal strip that goes in gap in length wise gap in soffit. Choose the one that looks best in your situation. Some have insect screen applied, you may have to apply your own screen, keeps bugs from going into attic or coming out into "pergola".

Do a google image search for soffit vents to see what they all look like.

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