Insulation, Radiant and Vapor Barriers - Attic insulation & soffit vents

The attic of my new house is insulated with R30 batts. Whoever did the job ran the batts right out over the soffits. I know the insulation above the soffit vents should be removed and just bought some Owens Corning Raft-R-Mates to keep that space clear. But should I remove all the rest of the insulation so that the entire soffit overhang is uninsulated?

Also, each Raft-R-Mates is 4-feet long. I assume I only need enough length to ensure the a clear airspace over the vent, right? If so, I need only half as many as I thought.

Thanks

Hi CanadianGuy,

If your sure that there is only batts being used then you can just pull them back from the vents or remove the edge batts altogether. You only really needs rafter mates et al. if you are dealing with some loose fill up there which it doesnt sound like you are. Dont leave the tops of the outside walls uncovered though! Stack some rigid foam insulation boards trimmed to fit into the rafter bays and to take up the cieling footpring left bare by removal of the batt. You probably wont get R30 stuffed in there but your attic will breath easier and you wont freeze in the winter.

-Ernie