Peak Vents for Best Air Flow

The hottest, dampest air in the attic collects at the highest point under the roof, and the best way to get rid of it's to in stall a vent in the roof’s peak. Two vents are made for this purpose: ridge vents, which run the length of the roof peak, and cupola vents, which are inside a decorative cupola installed at the center of the roof peak. The ridge vent is more efficient because it has an outlet along the entire roof instead of only at one point, and it also operates more effectively in still air. Unlike the cupola vent, a ridge vent is not camouflaged by a decorative exterior, but its low profile makes it relatively unobtrusive. When in stalled with soffit vents, both ridge and cupola vents are more efficient than any other combination.

Because of their location, ridge and cupola vents are more difficult to install than soffit, gable or roof vents—the job is often left to a professional. For both, roof shingles must be removed and sheathing cut; a cupola vent may also require that a piece be cut from the ridge beam if the vent has a central duct. This operation seems more drastic than it really is, for the ridge beam is not critical to the structural strength of the house—the sheathing holds everything together.

The cupola vent. A short duct capped with a little roof of its own, this vent fits into a hole cut through the sheathing and , in some cases, the ridge beam. If you must remove part of a ridge beam, headers at the sides of the vent hole replace the missing section, and the central duct is fastened to the headers. Outside the roof, the bottom edge of the cupola has a flange of flashing that fits under the surrounding shingles and is caulked with roofing cement.

The ridge vent. A continuous opening cut through sheathing along the roof peak allows hot air in the attic to rise into the vent and leave through the upper exhaust slots. To install the vent, the shingles along the roof ridge and the roofing felt beneath them are removed and an inch of sheathing on either side of the roof peak is cut away. The vent is then nailed over the hole along the roof peak through its flashing and sealed with roofing cement.