What Are Roof Ridge Vents?

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There are many different types of roof vents, each coming with their own unique benefits.  One of the most popular types of roof vents is a ridge vent.   When you’re having a new roofing system installed on your home, or you need to schedule roofing repairs, you should make sure that you know about every roofing option available to you.  When you know which type of roofing features to ask for, you can be sure that you’re getting the best possible features added to your roof.

When you have a new home, an old home, or simply an established home you bought from someone, it can be unclear how to test everything.  Many parts of the house will need to be checked as you start moving in, with one of the most important ones being your ridge vent.

Ridge vents will only work if there is sufficient soffit venting.  Ridge vents don’t work well by themselves.  They need clear soffit vents to draw in cooler outside air heavier than the hot attic air.  The cool denser air forces hot air out through the ridge vent, thus cooling the attic. A n adequately vented attic should only be about 125 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit on most Summer days.

To test if your ridge vent is working inside your attic, use an infrared thermometer to take a temperature reading from your soffit venting and second reading from the ridge vent inside the attic.  You should see a significant range in temperature variance where the soffit venting is lower, and the ridge venting is much hotter.

Understanding every way you can test your ridge vent and its importance will help your home stay livable.  We have seen many people underestimate the importance of the ridge vent, ending up with poorly ventilated homes and slowly becoming moldy.

What Is a Ridge Vent?

Whether you have a roof made of asphalt shingles, luxury slate, or wood shake, it is crucial that you have ventilation for your roof. Inside your home, heat rises.  That’s why your attic or upper crawlspace are always so hot.  Roof venting allows that heat to be released.  A ridge vent runs the entire length of the ridge of your roof. One of the primary benefits of these vents is the fact that they are not visible from the ground.

Types of Ridge Vents

There are two different types of ridge vents.  The type of ridge vent that you need depends on the ventilation system in your attic.

1. If your attic has an active ventilation system, you should choose a ridge vent with a baffle.  Active ventilation means that your attic’s ventilation system relies on fans that circulate the air around.  Baffled ridge vents are vents that have chutes that provide a route for airflow in your attic.
2. Passive ventilation systems rely on natural wind movements to circulate air through your attic.  These ventilation systems are often found in older homes.  If this is the type of ventilation system that you have, you can opt for a ridge vent that does not have baffles.

One of the biggest benefits of ridge vents with baffle is the fact that they prevent rain, snow, and sleet from getting into your attic or upper crawlspace.  Ridge vents that don’t have plastic chutes (or baffles) also allow insects to get in.

Do Ridge Vents Get Clogged?

Ridge vents can easily become clogged as they are filled with dust, mold, mildew, or animals making nests near or in them.  Most of the time, it will take several years for your ridge vents to become clogged, with most houses taking several years to get even some clogs.  We always recommend that you take a leaf blower up onto the roof once a year to clean and clear out anything that may be stuck in the ridge vent.  We also recommend that you spray the entire surface in and around the ridge vent with a bleach or ammonia solution, killing any mold that may be growing.

Birds and squirrels are usually the animals that will make some nest in the ridge vent, as it is a dry location with hot air throughout the year.  Fortunately, these animals abandon their nests throughout the year and give you the chance to safely and peacefully remove them to prevent complete clogging.

Why Does Roof Ventilation Matter?

There are several reasons that you should make sure that your attic has proper ventilation.  While there many different types of roof vents on the market, ridge vents provide some of the best ventilation.  This is because roof vents run the entire length of your roof’s ridge, ensuring that air can always move in and out of your attic.

Roof ventilation is very important if you live in an area that sees high humidity.  Since humidity is a measure of the level of moisture in the air, humid attics that do not have proper ventilation often become breeding grounds for mold and mildew.  Not only does this damage the items that you have stored in your attic, but it can also make the air in your home dangerous to breathe.

Providing your roof with extra ventilation also protects the roofing structure itself.  When air can pass through the roof on your home, certain roofing types, like shingles will better withstand damage due to extreme temperatures.

Having a quality ridge vent installed in your home not only makes your home safer and more comfortable, but it also adds years to the lifespan of your roof. If you don’t have a ridge vent, consider contacting a roofing contractor today.

There’s nothing like a fresh, airy home, and proper roof ventilation is key to achieving that.  Some homeowners may not realize the importance of their roof and attic exhaust vents.  It turns out, these systems are the MVP when it comes to regulating temperature, airflow, and moisture levels. There are as many types of ventilation as there are roofs, with some older homes featuring a hodgepodge of different exhaust vent types.

Gable Vents Explained

If you have a gable roof, you also likely have gable vents.  How to spot a gable roof?  Look for a roof with one long ridge spanning its entirety.  A qualified roofer places gable vents on the sidewalls beneath the eaves at both ends of the roof.  Gable vents, otherwise known as louvered vents, passively ventilate the attic space and roof. With vents on each side of the roof, fresh air enters through one vent, and stale air squeezes through the other.  Think of gable vents as two open windows on opposite sides of the room.

Ridge Vents Explained

As the name indicates, ridge vents run the length of your roof’s ridge, right along the peak.  They offer a sleek, subtle look as they disguise themselves as matching shingles.  Just like gable vents, ridge vents provide passive ventilation.  Warm air rises naturally and leaves your attic via the ridge vent. However, the design offers fantastic efficiency, as this type of exhaust vent covers a whole lot of square footage.

Do Gable Vents and Ridge Vents Work Well Together?

The simple answer is: Not really.  If your home features both ridge vents and gable vents operating simultaneously, you should think about sealing up the gable vents. Different types of exhaust vents actually prevent each other from working effectively.  Ridge vents are especially good at their job when left alone.  Gable vents can interrupt the “heat rising” effect encouraged by ridge vents, creating a cross breeze or circulating air back down throughout your home.

The end result?  A less comfortable home and a higher energy bill. Some homeowners report that this vent combination actually pulls in snow to your attic during the winter months.

Of course, any negative impact depends on the size of your gable vents.  If they’re small and don’t let much air in, the chance of a conflict with the ridge vents is minimal.