Installing Ridge Vents

The only reason that this should not be a do-it-yourself job is if you have a fear of heights and will be uncomfortable working on the roof. If not, then yes, you can install a ridge vent yourself. As the name implies, a ridge vent rests on the spine of a double-sloped roof and allows roof ventilation from between pairs of roof joists. Ridge vents are required for cathedral ceilings. To install a ridge vent, the first task required is to remove the shingles at the ridge of the roof, and saw off about 5 cm (2 in.) of the roof deck on either side of the ridge. This will be the space through which air can flow and over which the ridge vent will be placed. Traditional ridge vents have the problem of snow accumulation. Newer models of ridge vent on the market have improved designs that prevent snow accumulation, such as a sealed ridge vent that feeds two or three passive vent stacks that stand high above the snow.