For homes without soffits or narrow ones the attic can still be very effectively insulated.
Insulating attic without soffits.
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.
The only problem is there s no soffits in this house.
Plan to pull up the flooring and layer new insulation on top of the old.
Mini split ductless air conditioner.
This gives you access to all parts of the attic.
Place the plywood sheets or boards across the rafters in the attic.
A portable air conditioner is the easiest solution for cooling your attic.
Because the simplest and cheapest way to insulate an attic is to add material to the floor.
You d have to extend or actually reshingle the bottom layer of shingles at the edge.
With old homes it can be very difficult to properly ventilate the attic for a variety of reasons.
Figure out how much insulation you need for the area of the country in which you live by accessing the the u s.
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.
It s a standalone unit that s about two feet tall and 18 inches wide and has wheels for mobility.
Weird attic layouts may be a part of it.
Portable air conditioners do need to be vented to pump the hot air outside.