Ridge vents help to protect your roof and the entire house by allowing warm and moist air to escape from the attic. The warm and moist air naturally collects in the attic of your house.
The moisture in the air causes your roof structures to decay. Therefore, roof vents are critical roofing components of modern houses. However, your roof vent can experience severe problems.
Here are the 9 most common ridge vent problems:
- Ridge installed incorrectly
- Ridge vent leaking
- Improper sealing
- Ridge vent cracks
- Ridge vent blow offs
- Ridge vent mold problems
- Ridge vent clogging
- Ridge vent condensation problems
- Heat loss issues in winter
Apart from known issues, this article will also provide solutions to most of these issues without replacing your ridge vents. Although not exhaustive, this list should help ensure your ridge vents are working correctly.
Ridge Vent Problems
1. Improper Ridge Vent Installation
Although installing a ridge vent isn’t difficult, some roofers will likely make mistakes. For example, they may use the wrong nails when securing the ridge vent or cut open the entire ridge air slot below the vent.
Whatever the mistake, improperly installing ridge vents can cause several problems in your home.
- It will detach from the deck when strong winds blow over time.
- It could allow water to enter your attic space, leading to mold and mildew.
- It could be allowing hot air to escape from your home, making your energy bills higher than they should be.
- It could be allowing pests to enter your home, which could lead to an infestation.
If you don’t know what to look for when your ridge vents are installed, you can start by looking at how even it spreads on the roof. Also, ensure they overlap correctly to prevent leakages and other related problems.
If you suspect that your roofer didn’t install the ridge vent correctly, you should contact a professional to have it checked out. They will be able to determine if the problem is with the installation or the vent itself, and they will be able to fix it so that it works properly.
2. Ridge Vent Leaking
When your ridge vents leak, the most common causes are improper installation or sealing. However, extreme weather conditions can loosen the fasteners, which may cause rainwater to seep through nail holes.
If the screws or nails holding the vent are not tight, it can cause gaps and cracks. This can allow water to enter and will eventually lead to leaks. Another possibility is that the material of the vent has degraded over time and can no longer provide a proper seal.
If you have a ridge vent that is leaking, there are a few things that you can do to try and fix the problem. First, you must confirm that the roofer sealed the vent properly. If there are cracks or gaps in the seal, then this could be causing the leak. You can either use caulk or expanding foam to fill in the gaps.
Another option is to install a new ridge vent. This may be the best option if the old one is severely damaged or leaking badly. You will want to ensure that the new vent is properly installed and sealed so that you don’t have the same problem again.
If you still have problems with your ridge vent leaking, you may need to call a professional to look at it. They will be able to tell you for sure what the problem is and how to fix it. In some cases, they may even be able to install a new vent for you.
3. Improper Sealing
Improper sealing is another common ridge vent problem. Ridge vents are joined together by a special sealant. The sealant seals all the spaces between the ridge vent pieces to ensure that neither moisture nor solid contaminants can seep through the ridge vent into your attic.
The sealant should thoroughly cover all the sections of the ridge vent. However, it is common for the roofer to miss this crucial detail. When there are small gaps along the space covered by the sealant, rainwater can slowly sip through and find its way into your attic, leading to serious problems like ice dams and roof collapse.
To prevent improper sealing instances, hire a certified roofing contractor to complete the ridge installation process for you. A certified roofer guarantees that the person understands such common pitfalls of ridge installation and can avoid them.
You may also have to carry out a detailed inspection of your ridge vent regularly. Again, let a roofer do this for you to ensure that the sealant is intact.
4. Ridge Vent Cracking
The most common brands of ridge vents are made of plastic materials. The plastic is usually specially prepared to withstand the effects of the elements. Thus, ridge vents made from plastics can effectively remain functional for a relatively long period.
However, continuous exposure to the effects of the elements causes wear and tear. In addition, repeated heating and cooling because of the weather patterns exposes your ridge vent to deterioration.
Over time, the strength of the plastic fails. Small cracks, which eventually grow into huge gashes, begin appearing on your ridge vent’s surface.
You can do nothing to prevent wear and tear on your plastic ridge vent. But you can delay the process as much as possible by choosing metallic ridge vents instead of plastic.
5. Ridge Vents Blowing Off
One of the main causes of ridge vent blowing off is improper installation. If the vent is not installed correctly, it can loosen over time and eventually blow off in high winds. Also, damage to the roof can cause the vent to come loose and blow away.
For example, missing or damaged shingles around the vent can create an opening that allows wind to get underneath and lift the vent off. Lastly, if the ridge vent is too small for the roof, this can also cause it to blow off.
Another possible cause of ridge vents blowing off is the build-up of snow and ice on the roof. Too much weight on the vent can cause it to come loose and blow away. Additionally, if the temperature changes rapidly, the ice and snow expand and contract, putting pressure on the vent and causing it to blow off.
Lastly, high winds can be too strong for the ridge vent to withstand. If the wind is strong enough, it can lift the vent off the roof, even if it is properly installed and in good condition. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the vent is installed correctly and that the roof is in good condition to help prevent it from blowing off in high winds.
Securing your ridge vent is important, so it doesn’t blow off in high winds. There are a few ways you can do this, including:
- Installing additional fasteners along the length of the vent
- Adding a layer of weatherproofing material over the top of the vent
- Applying a sealant to the vent to help it bond with the roof
6. Ridge Vent Mold Problems
Mold growth in your attic can be a big menace. When mold grows in the attic, it starts to cause damage to the wooden structures of your roof. The damage progresses fast when left unchecked.
Ridge vents are often used in conjunction with soffit vents to provide a balanced ventilation system for your home. However, ridge vents must be clear of obstructions, such as leaves, dirt, or snow, to work properly. If obstructed, it can cause moisture to build up inside your attic, leading to the growth of mold and mildew.
Mold growth in your attic occurs when the house’s moist and warm air does not find its way out of the roof through the ridge vent. Also, when moisture from precipitation finds its way into your attic, it may cause mold growth.
The best and most effective way to prevent ridge vent mold is to ensure that the ridge vent is installed correctly and frequently cleaned. Proper installation helps to prevent leakages. In addition, your roofing contractor will detect simple problems like when the sealant is not correctly placed on the ridge vent.
To clean your ridge vent, remove any debris that may be blocking it, and then use a brush or hose to remove any remaining dirt or grime. If you have a lot of leaves and other debris around your home, you may consider installing a gutter guard to help keep your vents clear.
7. Ridge Vents Clogging
Clogged ridge vents is another common problem that you must not ignore. If your ridge vent is clogged, it can cause several problems, including:
- Reduced airflow through the attic can lead to increased temperatures and moisture levels
- Damage to the roofing materials
- Ice dams forming on the roof
- Increased risk of fire
Ridge vents can become clogged for various reasons, including leaves and other debris falling into the vent, animals nesting in the vent, or a build-up of dirt and grime.
Sometimes, the problem may be due to a faulty installation or poor maintenance. Regularly cleaning your ridge vents is important to ensure proper airflow and prevent potential problems.
If you think your ridge vent may be clogged, it’s important to have it checked out by a professional as soon as possible because it can lead to serious damage to your home. In addition, clogged vents can be difficult to clean and may require special equipment or techniques.
8. Ridge Vent Condensation Problems
Condensation may occur when there is a heavy downpour. The air temperature difference between the outside and inside causes the air trapped in the attic to change into liquid form. This causes all kinds of problems, including rotting and mold growth.
Suppose you stay in areas that regularly receive heavy downpour, ensure that you constantly inspect the status of your ridge vent. If you notice mold growth, this may have been caused by condensation of the warm and moist air that is found in the attic. Ensure that your ridge vent works perfectly so warm and moist air is not trapped in the attic.
Also, ensure that your roofing contractor correctly installs the ridge vent. All components should be working so that the warm and moist air that accumulates in the attic finds its way to the outside.
9. Heat Loss Issues in Winter
A ridge vent is a type of ventilation installed at the peak of a sloped roof. Ridge vents allow hot air to escape from the attic in summer, increasing energy efficiency and prolonging the life of your roof.
While a ridge vent might be great in summer, it may harm you rather than helping you in winter. During the cold season, you want to conserve as much heat in your home as possible. Therefore ridge vents work contrary to what you want to achieve – prevent heat loss.
Ridge vents are usually installed with soffit vents to prevent heat loss in the winter. Unlike ridge vents, soffit vents are installed along the underside of the eaves and allow cold air to enter the attic. As a result, you won’t deal with heat loss because no negative pressure is created to cause hot air inside the house to escape into the attic space.
Risks of Having a Faulty Ridge Vent
You cannot ignore ridge vent problems, even if they seem minor. Here are how to know if your ridge vent is installed properly and some of the risks of ridge vent problems that you should watch out for.
- Leakages: Water from the rain may seep through your faulty ridge vent. Over time, the water will accumulate in the attic and cause rots. Rotting will destroy your roof’s important wooden structures, thus posing a severe safety danger to you over time.
- Molds and mildew growth: Ridge vents allow warm and moist air that accumulates in your attic to escape. When the ridge vent is not working correctly, the warm and moist air will accumulate in the attic. The accumulation of stale air in the attic will trigger the growth of molds and mildew.
- Physical contaminants: If your ridge vent has spaces that allow small particles to seep through, the quality of your indoor environment may be compromised. Contaminants can easily seep through the attic and find their way to your indoor environment if the ridge vent is faulty.
Conclusion
Ridge vent problems can quickly interfere with the Indoor Air Quality of your house as well as cause damages to the wooden structures of your roof. If your roof’s wooden components get damaged, you will be forced to incur expensive repair costs to save the entire roof.
The primary step of dealing with all types of ridge vent problems is to ensure that the installation procedure is completed correctly. Let your technician use the right type and size of nails to secure the ridge vent properly on the roof.