Ridge Vent Details

When you build a roof, it has to be built so that air can move freely between the underside of the roof surface and the top surface of the roof insulation. One of the methods by which this is done is to use a ridge vent. This diagram gives you an idea of how it works.



You can see the long narrow opening along the peak of the roof. The opening is approximately 1.5" wide, and runs the entire length of the top of the roof except for about 4' on either end.



The ridge vent is made of flexible plastic and comes in a roll 30' long and 14.5" wide. It gets folded over the peak of the roof and nailed down along the edges. It allows air to flow up through the slot in the roof and out the sides of the vent.




The cap shingles are installed on top of the ridge vent. You start installing the shingles on one end of the roof, and install them so that each shingle is overlapped by the next one. The nails are always covered by the next overlapping shingle... except for the last shingle. On that one, I'll put some silicone sealant on top of the nail heads.