If i had an older home without soffits i would strongly consider just completely air sealing the attic and adding foam insulation totally removing the need for ventilation.
Best way to insulate attic without soffit vents.
With old homes it can be very difficult to properly ventilate the attic for a variety of reasons.
Because the simplest and cheapest way to insulate an attic is to add material to the floor.
The most common way to add ventilation to an attic is by installing air intakes in the soffits and putting an outlet at the gable of the house.
Drip edge vents hang out several inches past the edges of the roof allowing you to trim.
But if the floor is covered in plywood you can t stuff enough insulation beneath it to do the job sufficiently not even in warm climates.
Just bought this beach.
This creates a natural air flow by drawing in the air from outside pushing it up and out through the vent at the top of the house.
The answer is rafter venting.
Weird attic layouts may be a part of it.
Like some others that have posted i don t have a clue of the best way to insulate this attic.
Plan to pull up the flooring and layer new insulation on top of the old.
For homes without soffits or narrow ones the attic can still be very effectively insulated.
Insulation radiant and vapor barriers insulating attic.
Sometimes a home without eaves or soffits will use ridge vents.
In an attic without soffit vents you can add insulation in the corners and the wedges between the slope of the roof and the floor of the attic which serves as the ceiling for the room below.