How Do You Install A Ridge Vent On A Shingle Roof?
How Do You Install A Ridge Vent On A Shingle Roof?
A ridge vent is a ventilation accessory for metal roofs. It’s typically installed on the ridge of the roof, adjacent to the rafters, to allow air to be heated and cooled by the sun.
The heated air rises and exhausts through louvers in a ridge vent. A ridge vent may also have louvers on both sides of a roof. There are a few different ways to install a ridge vent on a shingle roof.
1. Remove the Shingle Caps.
To begin, remove the nails holding the ridge top shingles in place. Most asphalt shingle ridge tops have two nails in each one, one on each side of the ridge.
Begin at the very end with the final over-lapping cap shingle. Insert a flat pry bar beneath the shingle cap, then pull up on both the shingle and the head to release the nail and pry it out. Take off the shingle cover.
Cut the shingles back 3 inches (or as advised by the vent maker) from the ridge with a utility knife with a hook blade. Remove any felt paper or underlayment from the ridge, exposing 3 inches of wood decking.
2. Cut the Ventilation Opening.
The next step is to cut the wood decking back along the ridge. It is preferable to provide at least 1 inch of room on either side of the ridge board (ridgepole) to enable airflow through the hole and into the vent. If there is no ridge board, as with certain truss-framed roofs, the aperture should be at least 1 inch from the ridge on all sides.
3. Install New Field Shingles.
Install new field shingles as needed to cover any exposed decking. Furthermore, reconnect the existing courses of shingles using roofing nails so that they are fixed at the top margins where the shingles were cut back.
4. Install the Ridge Vent (Shingle-Over Style).
Mark, the manufacturer’s suggested distance from the ridge line along one side of the ridge, then snap the chalk line between the marks to produce a reference line.
Install the shingle-over ridge vent along the reference line and attach it to the side decking, as the manufacturer instructed. To firmly secure the vent, attach the other side of the vent to the opposite side of the ridge.
Install asphalt shingle covers over the vent using the manufacturer’s suggested nails.
5. Install the Ridge Vent (Aluminum Ridge Style)
Measure and mark the manufacturer’s suggested distance from the ridge, then draw a reference line with a chalk line between the markings. As suggested by the manufacturer, apply polyurethane caulk to the bottom of the flange on both sides of the vent.
Place the aluminum ridge vent parallel to the reference line. Nail through the flange on both sides of the vent to the roof decking and rafters (or trusses), using the nails and nail spacing specified by the manufacturer.
To ensure the vent is waterproof, add any connections and end caps that came with the ridge vent system.
How Do You Put A Roof Jack On A Shingle Roof?
Replace the roof jack with a new one sized to match your vent pipe. Roofing nails should be used to secure the new roof jack to the roof decking. Roof shingles should be cut to fit around the roof jack and inserted beneath the existing shingles.
Nail the new shingles down using roofing nails, ensuring the nails are hidden by the shingle above. This process should be repeated for all roof jacks.
