Ridge Vent Versus Traditional Vents

signal15

I was recently talking with my roofing supply place, and they were telling me that traditional venting is actually better than ridge vents.

Honestly, I cannot see how this is true, provided there is sufficient soffet venting installed. Can anyone shed any light on this? I have customers that are demanding ridge vent installation because they've also heard it was much better, but if there is any evidence to the contrary, I'd like to know about it.

I'm in MN, so we don't get the humid summers like they do down south, however, many people experience problems with ice damming which seems to be drastically reduced with the proper installation of a ridge vent.

Tom R

I don't know of any evidence to the contrary.

Ridge and soffit venting provide a more natural and efficient air-flow, - - and provide a much higher percentage of actual ventilation.

Sounds t' me like the roofing salesman is practicin' his BS.

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dougger222

I like air vents. The best are the Lomanco galvanized painted ones.

My father has seen 3 ft snow drifts in attics due to ridge vent. Ridge vent on low pitch roofs just like having shakes on a low pitch roof is not a good idea, IMO.

My buddy a builder installed ridge vent on his lake home a couple years ago and now wants to add air vents as well since he thinks the attic is not venting enough. I told him it would be better to get rid of the ridge vent and add air vents every 5ft (gable roof 8/12).

I install air vents for free and charge to install ridge vent since it takes longer than installing air vents.

Tom R

Multiple venting systems used at once will cause leaks/drifts in the attic. You're right that he would have to remove the ridge vents if he wanted the air vents.

As far as your your father's house, - - I would guess he also has gable vents?? Or I've also seen it happen when the house has gable vents, - - then an addition is added on with soffit/ridge venting, - - and the addition attic is opened up to the original house attic.

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maj

I've run into a couple instances where snow was entering via ridge vents. People were getting water stains on their ceiling in the winter. I got in the attic only to find snow! I removed the ridge vents and installed regular roof vents. Problem solved.

Most of these instances were on low pitch roofs (less than 5/12)

Now on all my new construction with 6/12 or less I almost always will use roof vents. Steeper pitches I may opt for ridge vent if cient insists.

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Teetorbilt

I don't know what y'all are using for ridgevents but they're pretty common down here as are low pitched roofs.

I have a ranch style home with 3 different pitches (flat, 3/12 and 5/12) and had ridgevents during Frances and Jeanne. They got a little bent out of shape but never leaked.

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dougger222

Tettorbilt, do you get much snow down your way? LOL!!!

There was never snow in my fathers attic, he's got a 45 sq 6/12 8/12 10/12 which just got aproaved for hail damage. He has air vents and has never had a leak.

The building my father saw the snow drifts in was a 1,300 sq building.

maj

Well, I don't know how much snow y'all get in Florida (actually I do... but).............................................: rolleyes:

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IHI

I think some of the ridge vent out there is of poor design and prone to snow infiltration in our area...take Cobra ridge vent for instance, nothing but a course SOS pad rolled across the ridge with nothing to really stop snow from wind tunneling up through it.

The plastic types are fine with the cloth backing since this is supposed to stop wind drien snow, but I've seen quite a few of these literally expand in high heat and start popping up ridge caps due to it's accordian style construction.

I think how one lays the ridge caps and blends into the ridge vent also causes problems. I see alot of guys-esspecially now with the storm chasers and our hail damage-start running the ridge at one end, and when they come upto the ridge vent they just step up and over and keep on running. We've always left the first 16" or so of the end of the ridge vent loose (not nailed) and run the ridge caps so they go under the ridge vent that first 16", and then go back and start blending the cap in and continue down the line. I guess my thinking do this is it gives a "gray area" so that if snow ever did get wind blown it would meet a area that would not allow it to penetrate through the ends at least....same principal as the overlap for felt paper/ice barrier.

Other than having to have a ton of turtle/mushroom vents to vent properly (what is it like 1' of ridge vent= 3 turtle vents), I think they are the best design out for longevity and weather tight installations...so long as you use the metal kind with the boxed in louvered framing, those little cap style vetns are just haven's for birds to build nests in...and plastic vents have NO place on any roof at any time IMO.

I did try some new ridge vent called Rapid ridge on this last garage we built. Consisted of powder coated aluminum mesh looking stuff with a factory "cleat/foot print" style to it" and had the fiber paper on the bottom. It went on really fast, kind of low profile file compared to some, and holds really tight with the 1 3/4" nails since the nails are hitting a soild piece of metal instead of the flexable plastic that some of these ridge vent companies sell.

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dougger222

On commercial residential jobs a few years ago we installed 10ft ridge vent sections which didn't need ridge shingles over the top, pretty quick system but didn't look too good. 6/12 pitch three tabs no leaks.

I agree plastic vents are a no go on a roof. Last time I put a plastic vent on a house was over 3 years ago. All air vents are either aluminum or galvanized and all plumbing vents are aluminum or galvanized.

In MN with such drastic tempature changes the plastic plumbing vents tend to lift up on the bottom, pulling the nails right out of the decking. This problem may be less common with the old decking but with cheap plywood and osb it happens too often.

IMO if homes were still built with real wood decking there would be less blow offs.

MJW

I've never had a ridge vent leak anything. I have had Lomance vents leak snow until they installed the screens in them. Now they are fine.

If you don't think we have humidity, you obviously don't work outside in MN.

I would prefer ridgevent, but it's not a huge deal. Ridgevent vents better, doesn't leak, and they aren't an eye sore (if that bothers you).

dougger222

IMO, when looking at a house from the street with no air vents visible it looks better than a house with ridge vent.

Of the thousands and thousands of air vents installed have yet to have a leaker. Have had to go back to replace plastic bird and squirel houses with metal vents though! Of the few thousand feet of ridge vent installed haven't had a leaker either though but only one in 40 homes have ridge vents that I do. Some developments there manditory so I have no choice.

H.roofing

Do you have snow?

Framer53

Did you realize this thread is 4 years old??

H.roofing

Yes!!
Did you?

Framer53

I noticed it ans made it known publicly as we have newbies that go back in the archives and we like to point it out so people realize it when answering.

H.roofing

Thx for your concern....