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TOPIC: Ventilation

Ridge Ventilation

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Had ceiling damage this past winter from snow blowing under the vent cap on our screw-down metal roof (newly built house). The contractor then installed "closures" under all the vent caps. They appear to be made of a fitted, dense foam material. My concern is that these closures may have blocked the venting. Also it appears the contractor never installed soffit vents for most of the roof. Those he did install were around the porch and garage - although I just see one or two 1" holes drilled in the soffit under these vents. Can someone tell me if the venting is adequate or needs to be corrected. I cannot find anyone locally, including our County Bldg Inspectors that I have confidence in. Apparently, not too many skilled in metal roofs around here.
Guest User

7/9/2003
This is rather complex and depends a lot upon how the ridge cap was designed. I have a feeling, though, that the closure strips have blocked off your ridge ventilation. I strongly suggest you contact the roofing manufacturer and see if they do not have a regional rep who can come see the installation and give advice. As far as the soffit venting, you need balance between the ridge and soffit vents as far as amount of free airflow in each. Right now, I think you have balance but that is because both are basically zero. Not good. Again, the roofing manufacturer should be consulted on this project. However, if you cannot track them down, call me at my office at 1-800-543-8938 ext 201 and I will try to help. Todd Miller
Todd Miller
Isaiah Industries, Inc.

7/9/2003
We had the same problem with a 3 year old roof. They originally just rolled the tarpaper up and over the peak and then put on the roof and ridge cap. In places where the tar paper was torn, snow and water would blow up under the cap and drip down and damage the ceiling. I am not sure what was installed on the main home roof but it seems to have prevented the water from coming in. I am now having the same water damage over the attached garage and I crawled up in the rafters and looked up at the underside of the ridge cap and the leak is only seen where the tarpaper is not intact. I found a product online that may be what they used - "ProfileVent by VentCo". Please do not ask me to contact the manufacturer of my roof or the company who installed it because our contractor declared bankrupsy and is no longer available and did not leave any info on the roof. He had three different companies put on the roof after one left in the middle of the job and then so did the second one.
Guest User

3/14/2004
Dave, In order for the ridge vent to work, the tar paper needs to be open at the ridge as well. There are several possible things going on here: 1) The roof could be too low of pitch for the metal roofing and/or the ridge vent that is installed. 2) The ProfileVent website at www.profilevent.com shows how this product is supposed to work. It is possible that it was mis-installed or perhaps the incorrect product was used with your metal roof's profile. It is also possible that the product has failed somehow or that the metal cap installed over it was either improperly formed, incorrectly installed, or the fasteners have come lose. My advice would be to get an experienced metal roofing contractor to take a look at this. If you want to pursue a remedy on your own, give me a call and I will try to help. Todd Miller, 1-800-543-8938 ext 201 Todd Miller
Todd Miller
Isaiah Industries, Inc.

3/14/2004