standing seam ridge vent

[Ken Meyer]

These spongy foam blocks are installed along both sides of a continuous ridge vent. Do they allow for much air flow? It doesn't seem that they would.

There is no other roof ventilation, and no attic, this is a small ranch home with vaulted ceilings throughout.

The foam blocks are all gunked up with algae. If they are intended to allow for air flow, I think the only way to clean them is to remove every one, clean them, and put them back.

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[kurt]

Never seen such a thing. I don't think there's any way they could allow air flow.

How about cutting some of the "brillo pad" stuff used on the ridge vent rolls (cut to size) and stuffing that in there?

[Marc]

They are not there to provide airflow. Their purpose is to prevent wind driven rain from reaching the top of the panel and ending up where it doesn't belong.

My metal panel and standing seam installations have a wide ridge trim and if the pitch is under 4/12, I won't do the job. Don't want my name on all those callbacks. Been there, done that.

Marc

[Ken Meyer]

Thanks Marc. I can see that happening, not much slope as you can see.

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[Marc]

Thanks Marc. I can see that happening, not much slope as you can see.

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Got a problem with that gas vent too, since it's spread across a seam. Skylights should be set back a little from the ridge trim with a short piece of flat flashing running from under the ridge to over the skylight flashing, extending on both sides to the nearest seam.

Marc

[Ken Meyer]

That's not the only one. I haven't inspected that many standing seam roofs, but this seems to be a common installation problem.

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[kurt]

Woof....now that I can see the whole thing, it's a mess. Like Marc said, shallow pitch metal roofs are problematic.

Those flashing penetrations tell the tale; the installers didn't know what they were doing.

[David Meiland]

That pitch is way too low, so rain was probably being driven up under the ridge cap and leaking into the house. The correct installation detail is usually to snip and bend the top end of the panel up at 90 degrees, to form a dam, and the ridge cap spans over that. It wouldn't work with that ridge cap profile, but with the correct shapes it can be done and won't leak except during a hurricane, when everything else is leaking too. I would not want that roof on my house.

Ideally the various installers work together to make sure the vents and whatnot pop up in the middle of panels, where you can use a dek-tite rubber boot. Hell, it doesn't take much effort, all you have to do is look up from below, find the rows of screws, and drill your hole right between them.

[Tom Raymond]

Along with all the other mistakes, in order for that panel to be on that low a slope; the entire roof needs to be covered with ice and water shield, and that needs to be covered with rosin paper so that the panels can move as they expand and contract.

That kind of stuff happens around here often, once a guy has a pole barn or two under his belt he thinks he can properly install steel on a house. An even more disturbing development, people are siding with steel now too. There are three in town with corrugated on the walls and roof[:-yuck]

[Marc]

An even more disturbing development, people are siding with steel now too. There are three in town with corrugated on the walls and roof[:-yuck]

Got a few farmers around here who built their house with steel siding and roofing. Works well. Good hurricane protection but, as you say, it's an eyesore.

Marc

[Tom Raymond]

I'm talking retrofits, new construction is even worse!

[mgbinspect]

They are not there to provide airflow. Their purpose is to prevent wind driven rain from reaching the top of the panel and ending up where it doesn't belong.

My metal panel and standing seam installations have a wide ridge trim and if the pitch is under 4/12, I won't do the job. Don't want my name on all those callbacks. Been there, done that.

Marc

What he said. Not a vent. We used to be a representative for Morton Metal buildings.