build a ridge vent

[halfblindrabbet]

I am building a house in a hot, humid, coastal area. I am using cedar shakes for the roof and I don't want to use a plastic ridge vent. Any ideas to site build ridge vent or is there a product on the market? Thanks in advance for your help!

[hausdok]

Hi,

Just install some thin spacer blocks along either side of a ridge vent gap, install some sheating along the ridge to form the raised vent and then use shakes to cover it. Lots of insects and bats down that way, right? If so, maybe use some fiber cedar breather material under the ridge to keep critters out.

Have you downloaded an installation manual from http://www.cedarbureau.org ? If not, that's the first place to go.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[halfblindrabbet]

thanks mike, yes I have the manual. what is fiber cedar breather material?

[hausdok]

Hi,

Go here: http://www.benjaminobdyke.com/visitor/s ... entilation

OT - OF!!!

M.

[kurt]

I concur. That arrangement would make a decent site built ridge vent.

Drift question.......

What is the roof structure for this project, i.e., rafters, truss, sheathing, post & beam, T&G decking...(?)......

Is there heavy growth/rain forest/trees, or some specific micro-climate?

Not exactly sure on the cedar shingles either, but they could be wonderful. Reason I ask is, I know some folks down Costa Rica way, and I'm not sure you want a ridge vent or cedar shingles depending on a few variables.

You're building new? If you are, you have the opportunity to choose climate and environment appropriate roof technologies.

Got any specifics for a bored and freezing cold Chicago guy that lived and built in the tropics a long time ago?

[SonOfSwamp]

Here in assbackwards Nashville, a few homeowners decided to put cedar shingles/shakes on their roofs. Every one I ever saw was rotten. Most were just 10 - 15 years old.

It gets hot and humid in Nashville, but nothing like coastal hot and humid.

If I were to build a house on or near the coast, I'd go with terne, or terne-coated stainless. Some terne roofs in Charleston and Savannah are 400 or so years old. You get your money's worth with terne.

WJ

[hausdok]

Hi Walter,

Yeah, that thought had occurred to me but I figured I'd answer his questions before asking why he's using shakes in that climate?

Around here, shakes last about 13 to 16 years in heavily shaded areas and 16 to 20 years in sunnier areas; unless, or course, you're doing regular maintenance on them by keeping them clean and free of alga and are regularly replacing broken/rotten shakes. In that case, the cover - not individual shakes - will last as long as you continue to care for it properly.

Though we have a fair amount of moisture in the air here, and plenty of rot spore, I bet it's not nearly what it is in Costa Rica's climate. I've heard that felled trees rot very rapidly in the central and south American rain forests. Is Costa Rica heavily forested like that? If so, how long would a wood shake roof last? I'd always thought the reason that so many concrete tile roofs were used in those climates is that they hold up better in the humidity.

Halfblindrabbet, if it's the look of the shakes that's prompted you to choose them as your cover, and you haven't purchased your shakes yet, you might look into Eco-Shakes from Renu Woods in Wagoner, OK. They might perform better than 100% wood in your area.

http://renewwood.com/

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike