Roofing Repairs That Stop A Leaky Ridge Vent
If you have an asphalt shingle roof, it probably has a ridge vent. A ridge vent runs along the peak of your roof and it allows hot air from your attic to escape to the outdoors. A ridge vent might be made of asphalt shingles or metal. Like the rest of the roof, the vent might start leaking due to age, storms, and sun exposure. Here are some roofing repairs that may be needed to stop a leaky ridge vent.
Replace Loose Nails
Improper installation is one reason that a ridge vent gets leaky. The ridge shingles use special nails, and they have to be installed differently from the rest of the roof shingles. If nails aren't put in properly, they can back out. Even nails installed correctly might get loose because the shingles are buffeted by the wind.
Loose nails allow the shingles to get loose too. If rain is blown under the shingles, it might leak in the attic, so ridge nails need to be replaced to keep your roof from leaking.
Add New Sealant
Roofing sealant may not last as long as the rest of your roof. If it gets brittle or works loose, your roof could start leaking. If the roofer finds this problem, they can remove the old sealant and apply new sealant so the area is watertight again. This is a fairly easy roofing repair, but if the sealant is missing, it's an essential step for solving a roof leak.
Replace Some Shingles
If the ridge shingles are cracked or have other problems, the roofer can take them off and put on new ones. Ridge shingles are also called cap shingles, and they are installed on a shingle-over vent strip that goes along the top of your roof on each side.
Ridge shingles have a different shape from the rest of your roof shingles so they can bend over the vent strip. Removing the shingles entails pulling out the nails and taking off the damaged shingles. Then new shingles can be put down and nailed in place.
Replace A Metal Vent
When asphalt shingles are blown off the ridge vent, only a few may be affected since they are nailed down individually. A metal ridge vent is a single piece of metal that caps the roof. If a strong gust of wind catches it just right and pulls it from the roof, a large part of the ridge is affected. The ridge might get lifted and twisted or blown completely off. When that happens, the roofer has to remove the rest of the bad ridge and then install a new one.
If you check your roof occasionally to monitor for damage, be sure to check the ridge cap. Since the ridge cap is at the very top of your roof, you may not want to climb that far if you have a steep roof. In that case, have a roofer check your roof and the ridge cap periodically so prompt repairs can be done if necessary.