Larenda

OK, gang...we've had about 10 experienced roofing contractors give us quotes for replacing our 22 year old roof. We feel we have a good handle on "shingle quality" and proper installation and the like, but these "experts" seem about evenly divided on whether our cathedral ceilings do or do not need a ridge vent. We have NO attic. We have a two story great room with cedar ceilings (cedar is what you see inside the house when you look up) and even the master bedroom and master bath upstairs have vaulted cedar ceilings with no attic above them...just cedar ceiling, wood beams, with insulation on top and shingles on top of the insulation. 1/2 are telling us the roof was constructed incorrectly and that even a ceiling with no attic needs a ridge vent, and the other half say that's crazy talk and that the small "register" type vents under the eaves is quite adequate and that the contractors telling us we need the ridge vent are just trying to rip us off. The ridge vent proponents say the other people don't know what they're talking about, and that that insulation section needs a ridge vent so that it doesn't trap moisture and cause mold issues and doesn't attract carpenter ants (which are a constant battle for us). A roof is a huge purchase and we have one shot at doing it right the first time...so do we need a ridge vent installed, or not? We do have a shower in the upstairs master bath and there is no "ceiling" above the shower stall...the steam just rises into the air and is hopefully sucked in by the vent fan in the wall above designed to pull the moist air outside. Help?

MALCO.New.York

Planning on directly letting in or out environments????? Then, by all means, Vent it.

It has been my experience that this is NOT standard practice!


Here is sumpin' to read...........

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1999/tenwo99a.pdf

Scuba_Dave

Were rafter vents installed in the cathedral ceiling before the insulation was installed?

I have several cathedral ceilings & all have/will have a ridge vents
Its pretty standard to do so
Keeping the roof/roof deck cool will extend the lifetime of the roof

MJW

Ok, Dave, I'll let you have that one, haha.

Dave is right, and it is the code. Have the chutes installed and a ridge vent.

Pretty standard thinking. I can't believe anyone would want to seal up a cathedral roof. Turtle vents would do very little. I recommend ridge vent on everything.

Scuba_Dave

That write-up is 10 years old
But it does point out:
There are good & bad ridge vents
Proper installation is also key

Also doesn't state where you are located
Up here in New England cooling isn't needed to an extreme
But proper ventialtion to avoid moisture is
And extending the shingle life

When I retrofitted soffits & a ridge vent into my front roof I also retrofitted rafter vents. When I pushed the final rafter vent into place there was a rush of cool air coming up

Even with proper venting & insulation my sunroom roof had ice dams this past winter. We had storm after storm & it faces South, so sun was melting snow & it was refreezing. No leaks - thank you ice & water shield

GBR in WA

Three different ways I agree with to vent and why: http://books.google.com/books?id=uiE...edral#PPA56,M1
Start on page 53, about preventing ice-dams, a good read. Be safe, G