Overview

A properly ventilated attic is critical to the long-term performance of a roofing system in Florida's climate. Rolled ridge vent provides continuous passive ventilation along the ridge, allowing hot, moist air to escape the attic without creating a leak point. At Trust Roofing, installing ridge vent correctly starts before the ridge cap shingles go on. The slot cut, the vent installation, and the integration with the ridge cap all have to be right for the system to work as intended.

Our Field Standards

Rolled ridge vent installation follows Trust Roofing field standards.

Field standards include:
* The ridge slot is cut to the manufacturer’s specified width before ridge vent is installed
* The slot is cut continuously along the full length of the ridge where vent is being installed
* Ridge vent is centered over the slot and fastened per manufacturer specification
* Ridge cap shingles are installed over the ridge vent per manufacturer overlay instructions
* The ridge vent covers the full ventilated length — it is not cut shorter than the ridge run
* End caps are installed at the termination points of the ridge vent run

Our Process

Cutting the Ridge Slot

The ridge slot is cut after all field shingles are complete but before ridge cap is installed:
1. Measure and mark the slot width per manufacturer specification — typically 1 to 1.75 inches each side of the ridge
2. Use a circular saw with blade depth set to cut through the deck without cutting rafters
3. Cut continuously along the full ridge length — do not skip sections
4. Clean the cut edges and remove debris from the slot opening

Installing the Ridge Vent

1. Center the rolled vent over the slot
2. Unroll from one end, pressing the vent flat against the ridge
3. Fasten per manufacturer specification
4. Install end caps at both termination points
5. Overlap at joints per manufacturer requirement — typically 6 inches

Installing Ridge Cap Over the Vent

* Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for ridge cap installation over the vent
* Nail through the ridge cap into the vent and into the deck below
* Nail length must be sufficient to penetrate the deck per specification

Roofing Terms

Ridge Vent

A ventilation product installed at the ridge of a sloped roof that allows hot, moist attic air to escape continuously along the full ridge length, a passive ventilation system that works with soffit intake vents to create continuous airflow.

Ridge Slot

The opening cut in the roof deck along the ridge that allows attic air to flow into the ridge vent, must be cut to the manufacturer’s specified width for the vent to function correctly. Cutting too narrow restricts airflow; cutting too wide can compromise structural integrity.

Florida Attic Ventilation Requirement

Florida building code requires a minimum net free ventilation area for attic spaces, improper attic ventilation in Florida’s climate traps heat and moisture, accelerating shingle deterioration and increasing interior cooling costs.

Passive Ventilation

An attic ventilation system that uses the natural stack effect, hot air rising and escaping through ridge vents, replaced by cooler air entering through soffit vents, without mechanical fans.

End Cap

A plug installed at the termination points of a rolled ridge vent run to prevent pest entry, wind-driven rain infiltration, and debris accumulation, required at all vent endpoints.

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