How Ridge Vents Can Be the Cause of a Leaking Roof
Pinpointing the exact cause of a leaking roof is harder than you think. There are various entry points for moisture in your roof; rain can enter your roof through any of these.
One potential entry point is the ridge vent. Ridge vents prevent moisture problems by letting warm air out, but wind-blown rain can enter if the vents are damaged. How then can you prevent rain from entering these vents?
The Great American Roofing Company, the state’s top roofer, shares some tips on preventing and fixing leaks stemming from issues with your ridge vents below.
Damaged Flashing
Normally, the flashing near ridge vents would prevent wind-blown rain from entering. If these were damaged or bent down, however, rain can enter your roof’s substrate.
The damage to the vents can be attributed to a variety of factors; old age is one possible factor. Over time, parts of your roof will inevitably suffer some form of damage, creating an opportunity for rain to enter the roof substrate.
That’s why it’s a good idea to have a qualified roofing contractor conduct periodic inspections and maintenance work on your roof. That way, they can fix relatively minor damage before your future roof repair cost balloons out of control.
Improper Roof Installation
Other times, especially if your roof was installed by an inexperienced contractor, the cause of the leak will be the improper installation of ridge vents. It might be that the flashing for your ridge vents isn’t high enough for your neighborhood’s climate, or the nails used to fasten your vents aren’t the right kind or long enough. In this case, your contractor should install new fasteners. They also have to conduct a comprehensive inspection of your roof to find other installation issues, if any.
The best way to prevent issues like these is to hire an experienced roofer. Not only will you save yourself a lot of trouble by doing so, but you will also save a lot on any roof repair project.
The Great American Roofing Company is a GAF Master Elite® roofing contractor with over four decades’ worth of experience. We offer a wide range of roofing services, including roof inspections and repairs. To get a free roof repair estimate, call us at (201) 515-2007 or leave us a message on this form.