Leaking Ridge Vents

Hi Sam,

There are three types of ridge vents that I'm familiar with: "foam-like" like Coravent, Rigid plastic, or aluminum form. Which one is yours?

Secondly, what is the slope of your roof? If it is "walkable" it is probably below 6:12. We generally avoid using ridge vents on lower-slope roofs as the shallow pitch does not help keep wind-blown water out.

So the fix depends on the specifics of the situation that you have. Post the info (slope, type of vent), and we'll try a solution.

Regards,

Paul

Hi, Paul!
Thanks for your response and questions.

The ridge vents are made out of molded plastic. I don't know the slope of the roof. This is a weekend place in the adirondacks, so, I can measure it this weekend.

I am a rock climbing guide part time and I am scared to death while climbing the roof, if it were a little bit steeper, I would feel the need to rope up to climb it!!

If it is at all helpful, a photo of the house can be seen here.
http://photos.yahoo.com/strat3771
in the Roaring Brook Lodge folder (I tried to give a specific link but I couldn't make it work)

Thanks again for your insight,
Regards,
Sam

[This message has been edited by Sam V (edited October 07, 2003).]

I've looked at the pictures of your lodge and the slope is about 8:12 so that's not the problem. The rigid plastic vents generally work well, so the problem may be: a) improper installation or b) some roof feature which is directing the wind and rain into that part of the vent. The real question is why is that specific part of the ridge vent letting in water while everywhere else it is working fine. Is it possible to get a better view of the ridge around where the vent is leaking? The lodge pictures don't show it, but is there any obstruction on the roof that may be redirecting the wind and water into the vent?

One other possibility to consider - if you've tried the water test on the ridge vents elsewhere and only in that one location you have a problem, then it may be that the baffles inside the ridge vent (which normally deflect incoming water) are damaged. If so, all you need to do is replace this section.

Let us know what you find.

Regards and good luck,
Paul

Im contractor in the north shore of Boston, the wind blows the water in most all the ridge vents I see ,and can cause mold if not repaired right away..I'm in the process of designing a new ridge vent that will not leak..Bob please contact me I would like to talk to you about this new ridge vent..d.milo@comcast.net

We are going to have a new roof put on our house and I thought it would be good to put in a ridge vent both on the house and the attached garage as we have one on our detached garage and it seems to stay much cooler in the summer. My husband is afraid it will leak and does not want to put one on the house. What do you think about these vents or what kind of vent would you recommend? Are some ridge vents better than others? Our home is 15 years old. We do get a lot of wind, some snow and rain as we live in southern Colorado on the prairie.

Thanks.

Can snow during a blizzard get in though ridge vents? Say you get a lot say 2-4 Inch would that be a major Concern?