roof vents

[joyce]

I have a question about roof vents. we have a Patriot Home--11/99. We had a new roof put on about 6 months ago and have had nothing but trouble since then. It snowed here (Kansas) about 3 or 4 weeks ago and it really blew hard. The roof guy said that snow blew in the roof vents and that is why it leaked. I have brown squares where each vent is on top of the house. We have vaulted ceilings in our house (every room). The roof guy said that since we do not have a crawl space that the vents are not doing anything and wants to take them out altogether. My thinking is if we did not need them they would not have put them in. Can anyone tell me what they are supposed to do?

[Barbara]

A pitched shingled roof has to have a way of venting so that condensation does not build up, even if there is no attic space. There will be either the square vents like you have or a ridge vent along the top ridge.

I have the square vents like yours. My home has only two, one at each end. Other homes in my area may have four or more. A neighbor with a home same size as mine, same type of roof, has seven of these square vents. I do not know how many are really needed or whether her home has more than necessary or my home has to few. I do not know of anyone having a problem with these vents in snowy weather, and we get a lot of snow here every winter.

I do not have an answer for why yours leaked when it snowed but I suspect it has to do with the way they were installed.

[Jim from Canada]

The best thing is a ridge vent, with vented soffit.. Yes, you must, according to code, vent the space above the insulation, unless you have a foam insulation sprayed in (like wall tight). "Maybe" the snow came into your vents. If it did, I would suspect the quality of the vents you have. Are your soffits vented? The vents near the peak is for warm air to escape, there has to be soffit vents for the cool air to come in to replace what came out.

I too have vaulted ceilings throughout my home. I put a new roof on last year. Check my photos for the job. I made sure it was done right. Cost more, lasts longer, less problems.

Jim

[Greg S]

I have never heard of what you describe causing a water problem.
My guess would be they are not properly installed and as a result have leaked.

[Johnny]

You said you had a ROOF PUT ON 6 MOUNTS ago right ? If the roofer did not seal them right that might be the prob. IF he put new roof over the old materiel then he might not have raise them to prevent the snow from blowing in