Remove Attic Vent?

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rabel

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How can I remove this exterior vent in my attic? I have wasps living in there because the netting behind this vent has deteriorated somehow. I have new netting to staple up but I can't for the life of me figure out how to get this vent off from the outside of the house.

vent.jpg
 
Thank you for the quick response!

Is there such a thing as a replacement that installs from the outside? I could tear this one out fairly easily. Getting to this from inside the attic is a huge hassle, not to mention I think there's a giant wasp nest just inside this vent.
 
The vent has a flashing that's under the siding a few inches. It's used to nail it to the wall and prevent water from getting in behind it. You would need to remove the siding as it butts up to the vent over the flashing.
If it's vinyl siding you may be able to pull it off, remove the vent, replace the screen and reinstall. Same goes for aluminum siding but it's much less forgiving if you bend or crease it when removing.
I would reconsider crawling into the attic, if possible, with a piece of screen, a staple gun, and a can of wasp spray.
 
Ok, thanks for your help. I'll climb up in there and blast 'em good while it's still cold. I think Red Wasps (Hornets, actually) are slow in the cold. If it's a giant nest perhaps I'll post a photo of their carcasses and the hole I put in my ceiling when I'm scrambling out of there while being stung, LOL
 
It’s really pretty easy to unsnap the siding and take it off if you want to go at it from the outside. They sell a hook tool you jam up under the siding and unsnap it and most of the time you can pop it on and off the nails to replace it. There are a bunch of videos on line showing how to do this. I would not take it down in super cold conditions as it gets brittle. If you have an attic that’s easy to get in and out of then I would take a look at doing it that way just adding a new screen on the inside.
 
Siding zipper tool to disconnect siding layers.

Zip_tool_amazon.jpg
 
Oh man, you guys are great. This vent is on the far end of my ranch-style house from the attic access and then I'd have to shimmy down between two joists to get to this vent from the inside. It's a pretty big hassle, not to mention fighting off hornets while I'm straddling two joists with my staple gun. I've got some bug bombs I'm going to toss in there this weekend regardless of how I get to this, either from the inside or outside.

Anyhow, I l watched video on how to use that siding tool. I assume the siding is cut in a circular pattern underneath this vent's trim piece.

Are you suggesting that the best way to get to this from the outside of the house is to completely remove these short siding pieces, then I'll be able to get to the flashing around the vent so I can remove the nails/screws to remove the vent? I assume I'll need to scrape away and replace some caulking, etc as well.

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You got it. While you have the siding off take a scrub brush and some cleaner to it. Keep track of the pieces trust me it’s easy to mix them up.
 
If you start at the top and work your way down you may not need the tool, Take note at how loose the nails are placed, they do not want to be tight when youy replace them.
 
Man, you guys are great. I'm doing this next week when this snowpocalypse is over and I'll update with photos of reinstalled vent or pictures from the ER. I'll try to staple a few of the hornets before they knock me off the roof.
 
I have no idea how you would remove this vent form INSIDE the attic?
It is nailed to the OUTSIDE of the sheathing and must be removed from the outside after the siding is removed.
You're doing it the right way....... from the outside. It's a little time consuming but at least you can get away from the hornets if they become active.
 
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Ok, thanks for your help. I'll climb up in there and blast 'em good while it's still cold. I think Red Wasps (Hornets, actually) are slow in the cold. If it's a giant nest perhaps I'll post a photo of their carcasses and the hole I put in my ceiling when I'm scrambling out of there while being stung, LOL
"At temperatures below 50° F, wasps have difficulty flying." so since their stinger always points down they are pretty much harmless in the cold.

And if you whack them with a pole they will attack the end of the pole. It is beyond them to figure out cause and effect.
 
I've read all the post and I'm a little slow. What would be the reason to replace this vent? Is it damaged? A view is worth a lot more than us telling how to do this here. I hope I'm not coming across ugly, because I'm not trying to, I want to help you. This is not a hard job but you can make it one. First I would get a ladder long enough to get you there and not have to over stretch , second get you some long sleeve shirts cap some safety glasses to protect your eyes. But you can spray that from the ground and spray it good and sit back and watch it to see any more are there. . If not still protect yourself. And check the vent out for damaged screen. If there is damage and you need to replace it hers how. Remove the few pieces of siding down to just below the vent you will see the either nails or staples the builder used. Then remove and replace the vent and siding. And you are done. When you go to get your attic vent at either Home Depot or Lowes ask them how this is done so they can show you and they will be happy to. You still are going to have to climb up there first to measure the vent so you will know what size to buy. You could and I've seen a lot of people just buy screen wire and staple it over the vent on the outside so there is little work to do and only you and the bees will know is there. There also maybe a video on YOUTUBE on how to do this. I hope it works out for you. This is the right time to be doing this before it gets so hot in the attic if you do have to get in there.
Donald"Dr.Don"Watkins
Master Sergeant USAF Ret
 
So, you can't go into the attic,blast the nest with 20 foot spray and staple up the new screen from inside.
 
RABEL, you don't have to explain but why are you taking this vent out? Have you checked to see if this vent is in two pieces? Just looking at your picture it looks like it in two pieces. I looked at some gable attic vents on YOUTUBE yesterday and they make a two piece vent , the first piece is installed just like all the rest and then the siding is put on . This two piece is the same and then the vent is snapped in . That way if you need to clean it or what ever you want to take it out for. You say you have wasp in the attic , are you sure that they are coming through the gable attic vent ?
 
RABEL, you don't have to explain but why are you taking this vent out? Have you checked to see if this vent is in two pieces? Just looking at your picture it looks like it in two pieces. I looked at some gable attic vents on YOUTUBE yesterday and they make a two piece vent , the first piece is installed just like all the rest and then the siding is put on . This two piece is the same and then the vent is snapped in . That way if you need to clean it or what ever you want to take it out for. You say you have wasp in the attic , are you sure that they are coming through the gable attic vent ?


Don
Do you have a link to the two piece vents? Sounds interesting. I have seen the ones where there is a beauty ring that snaps over and covers the siding cuts but those I think the louvers are built into the part that’s attached to the sheathing and behind the siding.
 
I think the ones that the slats would pop out were early, the wind could pop them out and the newer design just have the ring on the outside.
 

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