How to Install a Roof Ridge Vent

Installing a roof ridge vent is an easy way to ensure that that your attic is getting adequate ventilation. Due to their location and length, a roof ridge vent is often considered one of the best roof vents. These roof vents are also easy to install for the homeowner that already has some experience laying or repairing roofing.

To install a ridge vent, you should begin by removing the ridge cap on the ridge of the house with a prybar. This tutorial assumes that you have asphalt roofing; other roofing types may need different techniques and require a different installation method.

With the ridge caps removed you can then cut the hole along the ridge of the roof. Read the instructions that come with your ridge vent carefully, each manufacturer has different width recommendations, so be sure to follow them. Using your manufacturer's recommendations, snap a chalk line that delineates how wide the opening should be.

Now you can cut the hole in the roof using a circular saw. Be sure to set the saw to cut through the roofing and sheathing, but not cut through the rafters at all. I recommend that you do a test cut on a piece of lumber and carefully measure the depth before you make the actual cut. It is also important to know the exact depth of your roofing and sheathing to know how far to cut. When you are ready to cut, cut out the top of the roof that you have marked, starting your cut 12 inches from the outside edge of the exterior wall and ending at the same distance away from the other exterior wall.

Pry up the pieces you have just cut out. You should have created a long, narrow rectangle, which will be your vent opening. Next, you should mark the actual width of the ridge vent using a chalk line. Take the width of the ridge vent, divide by two and then measuring from the midpoint of your roof opening, and snap a chalk line at that point.