Today, we will be taking a look at how we replace a leaking aluminum ridge vent with a high-quality GAF Snow Country Advanced cap over the ridge vent. A low-quality aluminum ridge vent is one of the most common areas where a roof leaks. But what is a ridge vent, and what does it do? A ridge vent is a ventilation system installed along the peak or ridge of a roof. It allows hot, humid air from the attic to escape, improving airflow and maintaining a more balanced temperature in the attic. By releasing trapped heat and moisture, a ridge vent helps prevent issues like mold, mildew, and wood rot, which can occur when humidity builds up in the attic space. This ventilation system can extend the life of roofing materials and make a home more energy-efficient by reducing the load on air conditioning keeping temperatures more consistent throughout the year.
The older-style aluminum ridge vent has two main design flaws. The first is that it is manufactured in 10’ pieces so that every 10’, there is a seam in the ridge vent that is prone to leaking. The second design flaw is that it is fastened to the roof every 8-12” on either side with a fastener that is exposed to the elements. These fasteners are typically covered with caulking when they are installed, but after 10-12 years of being exposed to the elements, the caulking wears away, and the fasteners begin to leak. Leaking around the fasteners causes water damage to the plywood at the peak of the roof and can even lead to the ridge vent blowing off the roof if not caught and repaired in time. Due to the inferior design of the aluminum ridge vent, we prefer to replace it with a higher-quality ridge vent when it begins to leak.
We were called out to look at a leaking roof in Lebanon. After we met with the homeowner we inspected the inside of the home for the locations of the roof leaks and then we inspected the roof and determined that the aluminum ridge vent was leaking and that it needed to be replace with a higher-quality ridge vent. For the ridge vent, we prefer the GAF Snow Country Advanced cap over ridge vent.
Here are pictures of the older aluminum ridge vent, take note of the exposed fasteners and seams every 10 that are the cause of the majority of leaks with this ridge vent.
The first step in replacing the aluminum ridge vent with a GAF Snow Country advanced cap over ridge vent is to remove and dispose of the existing aluminum ridge vent. This is what the roof looks like after the aluminum ridge vent is removed. The plywood of the peak should be cut back approximately 1” from either side of the peak to allow for proper ventilation.
The next step is to install the GAF Snow Country ridge vent. This ridge vent is hand-nailed with 3” ring shank nails to ensure that every nail is properly driven and to prevent over-driven fasteners.
The last step is to nail on the cap shingles. The cap shingles match the existing color of the roof. For this job, we used weathered wood to match the existing architectural shingles. If you remember from earlier, the two main problems with the aluminum ridge vent are that it leaks around the exposed fasteners and at the seams in the ridge vent. This new style of cap over ridge vent eliminates both of those problems. Multiple layers of cap shingles now cover the seams of the ridge vent, and there are no exposed nails!
