AboutTodd E. Miller Expertise I am available to answer any questions pertaining to residential (or other sloped) metal roofing. I have knowledge of most available products but I like to approach projects from a "needs" basis and analyze them individually. Additionally, I can answer most questions about building ventilation.
Experience I have worked for a manufacturer of residential metal roofing since 1980. I currently serve as President and have been involved with a wide variety of projects of all types across the world.
Organizations I am a board member for Metal Construction Association, Metal Roofing Alliance, the local United Way, our church, and our son's school.
Publications Over the years, I have had articles appear in several trade journals including RSI, Remodeling, and Qualified Remodeler.
Education/Credentials I have a B.A. in Communications and have also completed three years of training with the E-Myth Academy.
Question I am building a new house and contracting it myself.Big headache.Anyways I had a standing seam roof installed and Im curious about the way its vented at the ridge.The whole house is cathedral ceiling.Therefore I wanted a continuious vented ridge.It appears the way they did it was cutting the z channel short on each end by half an inch.Also the panels are boxed at the top.Then it is capped off by a snap ridge which has "unsnapped" once allready.To me it seems to be a "homemade" way to vent.Also some places dont have the tarpaper cut back from over the air gap and some of the panels extend over the air gap.I guess my questions are is this a normal way to vent a ridge and is it enough vent space for proper ventilation?The house measures 50 by 35.The back roof is 5/12.The front roof is 11/12.The inside is un finished so the 2 by 12 rafters are exposed with rafter mates installed.I have not installed soffit vents yet because im not sure of size or type. thanks for your help.
Answer Not sure how much I can help but I will try.
First of all, have you checked with the manufacturer of the roofing to see what their prescribed ridge vent method is? It does sound like yours is "homemade" -- someone's brainchild. I see that a lot -- all kinds of different things. Some work and some don't. When they don't work, at best, they do not allow air to exhaust. At worst, they leak. That is not good.
I really do not know how much vent space you have ta your ridge but it sounds minimal. Really, what you wnat is to have as much ventilation as possible and you want it to be balanced between the intake venting at the eaves and the exhaust at the ridge. You want the same amount of free airflow at each.
Not having the felt paper cut back to expose the vent can be an issue.
Again, not sure how much I have helped here. Some metal roofing manufacturers produce their own ridge vents. Others have instructions for using pre-formed products like ProfileVent and Cor-A-Vent (you can find both of those by googling).
Also, a great source of venting info is at www.airvent.com
