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Originally posted by hrcjon:
1/2 of this I can comment positively on, the other is partially controversial. Ridge vent are fine assuming adequate soffit vents to move enough air. Where I live it would be extraordinary to see a modern roof installed without on. There seem to be some disagreements on what do to with existing gable vents. My vote is to leave them open. hot air rises and the more air you feed the system the better. But if your contractor's warranty is dependent on a certain configuration I think you have to go with that and rely on that...

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Originally posted by Bassamatic:
I've had a ridge vent for years now and zero problems. I also have the gable vents and as others have said, they are important.

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Originally posted by Outnumbered:
I'm a production manager for a large exteriors company - windows, siding, and roofing. My crews install ridge vent on most of our roofs, unless a customer specifically requests keeping box vents. On hip roofs with very little ridge line, we'll add/replace an appropriate number of box vents, as well. It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyways. Make sure the roofers actually cut a strip of plywood away at either side of the ridge, so the air can get to the vents. Sadly, I've actually seen roofs with ridge vent applied over the plywood!

Some manufactures do recommend eliminating/blocking additional venting sources other than the intake at the soffit, and exhaust at the ridge due to the possibility of messing up the drafting air flow that is supposed to go straight up thru the rafter/truss spaces. I wouldn't be worried about them blocking off the gable vents as long as you have an all gable roof with fully vented ridge.

As previously mentioned, it's critically essential to have adequate air supply at the soffit to balance the exhaust. Do you have perforated aluminum/vinyl soffit at all your eaves? If you have wood or other materials for soffit, calculate your intake opening space carefully. The round metal intake vents are usually inadequate. Do you have "proper vents" chutes in the spaces between the rafters/trusses to allow the intake air to get over your wall top plates? Many times, when attic spaces get insulated, that area gets blocked off by the insulation. Verifying/correcting this and also ensuring that you have plenty of attic insulation are also crucial factors of preventing ice dams, but are your responsibility from inside the attic, not the roofer's. All of this is necessary to prevent damage to the roof by cooking, and also ice dams. Speaking of ice dams, I'm a big fan of 2 courses of ice and water shield at eaves and valleys; larger ice dams can push water higher up the roof than one 3' course can protect against. You'll likely pay a little more, but it's worth it. Good quality ice and water shield is usually $60-$90 per 67' long roll, FYI.

Additionally, carefully read the fine print of the Certainteed warranty. They likely require that a minimum number of Certainteed-branded products are installed in conjunction with the shingles. Certainteed starter (NOT flipped 3-tabs), Certainteed ice and water shield, Certainteed synthetic underlayment, etc. Many times, the ridge vent only counts as one of the required components IF you use the same brand of intake vents (Certainteed makes one). Obviously, all of the other best practices are required too; recommended number of nails per shingle (more on steeper pitches), nails all applied in the nailing strip, not too high/low, minimum spacing between the sheets of plywood sheeting (sometimes H-clips are required), etc.

I'm not trying to obsess over the details, I'm just pointing out some nuances that many roofers overlook. Get everything in writing, and make sure whoever is responsible for registering your roof system for warranty does so on time, with the proper documentation. Does Certainteed require a listed/approved/certified installer does the work for their warranty to be valid? If so, they're likely required to provide proof of Certainteed products and register the warranty for you within 30 or sometimes 60 days of installation. Request a copy of the manufacturer warranty registration, and also the material delivery packing slip for your records, to prove the required products were used.

If your roofer can confidently answer these questions, and meet the requirements, you've likely got a winner. If he looks at you like you're being a demanding customer, he may very well be a good roofer that does excellent work, but either 1) doesn't know what he doesn't know and hopefully appreciates the guidance in being better than his competition, or 2) wants to bang out your job to collect money and move on.

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Originally posted by urbanwarrior238:
I am not a roofing expert and am only speaking from personal experience. There has already been some great info posted.

I had ridge vents installed in 2012 with a new roof. No problems. No leaks, etc.

WARNING here: When they cut the roof for the venting, that sawdust, pieces of shingle, etc. gets EVERYWHERE on the roof floor and in my case, the garage. I was cleaning up that crap for months in all the places it settled into. My suggestion is if your garage is not sealed, cover or move things out.

On hot days you can see the heat shimmering at the vents as the heat escapes. But my vents are a passive, no added exhausting fans, etc. Covering the soffits and end gable vents seems strange to me as they help in air movement.

I believe the ridge vents help but our house is still hot inside. Had the insulation people come out for an estimate and they said insulation is fine and don't need to replace/repair. So as an example, inside house temp might be 75 at night when outside air temp is say 60 or 65.

Solution to cooling inside temp down is a 'Whole house fan' which wife won't go for since we plan on moving in next few years. So instead, I am going to do some solar roof vents to draw more hot air out. It's more affordable and can be done when wife's at work and she will probably never know they are there on roof.

Good luck and look forward to your follow up post after installation.