When it comes to selecting a type of roofing system for your home, one choice that needs to be made is selecting the type of ridge vent to be installed on the roof system.
Ridge vent systems are one of the options that home owners and building owners have when deciding how to best ventilate their roof system and the attic space of the building. It is also a feature that, if done properly, will blend into the appearance of the roof so that it is not a prominent feature of the roof system.
There are two primary options when it comes to choosing a style of ridge vent for your home or building. The first of these options is an aluminum ridge vent.
The aluminum ridge vent has the appearance of an elongated mushroom. The top of the ridge vent is solid and deflects the water from the opening along the ridge.
The underside of the ridge vent is perforated which allows the air to ventilate from the attic space as the wind blows over it.
The draw backs of the aluminum ridge vent include appearance and lack of wind resistance. The aluminum ridge vent shows prominently along the ridge line of the home or building. When installed, it is apparent that a ridge vent is in place along the ridge. In addition, these types of ridge vents are susceptible to wind uplift. Since they are sold in 10 foot sections, wind damage to any portion of the ridge vent can leave up to 10 feet of ridge line exposed.
The second type of ridge vent material is a shingle over ridge vent. This material is sold in different configurations and material types.
However, this type of ridge vent requires the installation of asphalt shingle caps over the ridge vent after its installation. This conceals the appearance of the ridge vent, but does not affect the functionality.
In addition, these systems are more wind resistant than the comparable aluminum ridge vent.
The shingle over ridge vent provides benefits over the aluminum ridge vent material. The greater wind resistance coupled with the improved appearance makes it a better value for the home owner or building owner to incorporate into their roof assembly.
Photo © istockphoto.com/tinabelle Installation of aluminum ridge vent.
Photo © Jurin Roofing Services, Inc. Shingle over ridge vent.