why are rafter vents so expensive?

[vavet]

I'm about to embark on the insulation of my detached garage. I want to install baffles between the rafters (trusses). I can't believe how expensive they are. They run $1.60 to $1.90 each! That doesn't seem crazy, but when you figure they're just a floppy piece of plastic and I need 32 of them, that's a little chunk. I figured it something they'd sell enough of to really benefit from economies of scale.

 

[K13]

How much cheaper do you think something like that is going to be given it has to be manufactured, packaged, shipped and sold with some profit? It's not like washer where a thousand of them fit in a 4" square box.

 

[Lynden]

Make the baffles.

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=diy+rafter+baffles&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

 

[kbs2244]

It is not the cost of the item in a retail store.
It is the cost of shelf space and inventory carrying vs price.

This is a classic case of a penny per item cost vs a dollar per item price.

 

[tthornto]

This seems like a very practical way of making your own baffles. Especially if you have a issues like a steel roof you can't staple to, or post frame constuction with rafters 8' or more on center. I don't see why it wouldn't work with stick framing and 16" or 24" on center rafters, you could possibly even eliminate the string because you would be stapling in more places.

 

[CombatNinja]

For what it's worth, making your own baffles as shown in the links is way more effective than the store bought junk. Most of them are only 10-12" wide and people put them in 24" OC construction. Then when the fiberglass is installed over them, they get crushed because they are so flimsy. Using store bought foam baffles probably gets you maybe 35-40% of the ventilation you could have with site-built. They are seriously that bad.

 

[rnixon]

Cardboard baffles sell for 65 to 85 cents each... / 16"/24"centers

 

[The Cobbler]

I made my own for the garage, only because I had a bunch of 1/4 ply & 1x2 that was water stained . and I wanted full bay vented but in the end it's no cheaper IMO

 

[Jackfre]

You are kidding, right?

 

[scottydosnntkno]

You are kidding, right?

Insulating his entire garage and complaining about $50 for baffles. Hah