Our bungalow wasbuilt in 1956 and we are now replacing the roof again. The roofers are giving us mixed signals regarding a ridge vent. Two of them said we shouldn't have one because we have no overhang or soffit, and suggested about 6 regular box vents. A third roofer says we should do a ridge vent, and he would put in some type of vent below each of the gutters, since we have no soffit. Also, we are concerned because we do have some water pipes in the eaves going to our baseboard heaters. First, we don't know who to believe. And second, we are afraid if we did get that ridge vent and gutter vents that our water pipes in the eaves might freeze. Our house is about1600 sq. ft. with one peak.
Answer:
I find it hard to imagine a roof with no soffits but it can happen. Unfortunatly you have plumbing up there too and that limits your options. I would want a structural engineer to take a look at it, calculate some way of getting soffit ventilation installed and I'd settle for nothing less than a baffled ridge vent running from gable to gable.
Courtesy of Ren Molnar, Construction Consultant at HomeFocus.com. I can also be reached at (613) 748-3003 and Home Focus phone-in is broadcast live 8 to 10 A.M. (central standard time) on Saturdays on www.cfra.com.
