Install Ridge Vent and Attic Ventilation Components

A. Finished-Work Specification

Deliverable: one continuous ridge-vent slot cut to the manufacturer-specified width and to deck thickness only, with required end clearances maintained; one ridge-exhaust vent installed, joined, and fastened per the manufacturer's instructions; compatible ridge-cap shingles installed over the vent using the vent manufacturer's fastening and exposure instructions; and one documented verification that intake vents, baffles, rafter channels, and ridge exhaust remain unobstructed and appropriately balanced.

B. Governing Documents

Document	Confirmed Current	Notes
Ventilation design and required net free ventilating area
Ridge-vent product instructions
Framing plan
Roof plan / ridge and hip layout
Chapter 1 roof-readiness record
Chapter 13 status for this ridge/hip

C. Acceptance Standards

Check	Standard
Slot width	Matches the manufacturer-specified slot width along its full length
Cutting depth	Limited to roof-deck thickness only; no framing member cut or damaged
End clearances	Match the approved ridge ends, walls, hips, chimneys, and framing-interruption limits
Attic debris	Sawdust, nails, and loose deck pieces removed from the attic and roof
Vent alignment and joints	Straight, fully supported, uncrushed, with joints made per the manufacturer's end-lap, connector, or butt-joint method
Vent fastening	Matches the manufacturer-specified fastener, length, spacing, and seating condition
Ridge-cap coverage	Installed over the vent per the vent manufacturer's fastening and exposure instructions
Airflow path	Intake vents, baffles, rafter channels, and ridge exhaust confirmed unobstructed; no bathroom, kitchen, dryer, or combustion exhaust terminating into the attic

D. Required Project Sequence

1. Review the approved ventilation design, required net free ventilating area, intake and exhaust balance, ridge-vent product, slot dimensions, end clearances, framing restrictions, and cap-shingle requirements. Record the required net free ventilating area and the ridge-vent product on the ventilation verification record before proceeding.
2. Confirm that soffit, edge, or other intake ventilation is present or included in the coordinated work. If intake ventilation is absent or insufficient, coordinate its installation as part of this chapter's scope rather than proceeding with exhaust-only work.
3. Inspect the attic for blocked rafter bays, insulation obstructions, fire-blocking conflicts, moisture, wiring, ducts, and unsuitable exhaust terminations. Use a flashlight from the attic access point and record every obstruction found along the ridge line and adjoining rafter bays.
4. Stop work if the proposed slot would cut trusses, rafters, ridge beams, connectors, wiring, or other structural or service components. Route any such conflict to the responsible framing or trade authority for an approved resolution before marking the slot in that section.
5. Mark slot limits from approved ridge ends, walls, hips, chimneys, and framing interruptions. Measure end clearances from the references identified in the ventilation design and mark them on the ridge before snapping cut lines.
6. Snap parallel cut lines using the manufacturer-specified slot width. Use a chalk line referenced from the ridge centerline so both cut lines remain parallel and equidistant from the ridge along the full slot length.
7. Set cutting depth to the roof-deck thickness only. Confirm the saw depth setting against the measured or specified deck thickness before making the first cut, and recheck it if the deck thickness changes along the ridge.
8. Establish dropped-object and attic-debris controls below the cut. Position containment material in the attic below the cut path and confirm the roof-access exclusion zone from Chapter 2 remains in effect below the roof edge.
9. Cut one side of the slot in controlled sections without crossing marked limits. Cut short, controlled sections rather than one continuous pass, and stop at each marked end-clearance limit.
10. Cut the opposite side and remove deck strips without damaging framing. Use a pry bar to lift the cut strip evenly, working from one end, and confirm the underlying framing remains undamaged as each strip is removed.
11. Remove sawdust, nails, loose deck pieces, and debris from the attic and roof. Clear the containment material from Step 8 and inspect the immediate area for any debris that missed containment.
12. Inspect slot width, continuity, end clearances, and exposed framing. Compare the completed slot to the manufacturer-specified width and the marked end clearances, and confirm no framing member was cut or damaged.
13. Correct only authorized deck-edge defects before installing the vent. Refer any framing damage discovered during this inspection to the responsible structural authority before continuing; do not proceed with vent installation over damaged framing.
14. Center or align the ridge vent over the slot in the manufacturer-required direction. Confirm the vent's designated orientation before placing the first section, and align it to the ridge centerline for its full length.
15. Join vent sections using the specified end-lap, connector, or butt-joint method. Use only the joining method identified in the manufacturer's instructions, and confirm each joint remains continuous and unobstructed.
16. Fasten the vent with the required fasteners, length, spacing, and seating condition. Drive each fastener to the specified seating condition without crushing the vent's internal baffle or airflow channel.
17. Keep the vent straight, fully supported, and uncrushed. Sight down the ridge after fastening to confirm the vent remains straight and uniformly supported along its length.
18. Install compatible ridge-cap shingles over the vent using the vent manufacturer's fastening and exposure instructions. Use the vent manufacturer's exposure and fastener-length requirements rather than the general Chapter 13 non-vented schedule, since fastener length and exposure often differ over a vented ridge.
19. Verify that intake vents, baffles, rafter channels, and ridge exhaust remain unobstructed. Recheck the attic from the access point used in Step 3 and confirm no installation debris or displaced insulation has blocked the airflow path created in this chapter.
20. Confirm that bathroom, kitchen, dryer, and combustion exhausts do not terminate into the attic. Trace each mechanical exhaust identified during the Step 3 inspection to its actual termination point and record the confirmed exterior termination or the correction required.
21. Inspect vent alignment, slot coverage, fastener penetration, end plugs, cap-shingle coverage, and airflow continuity. Complete the Ventilation Verification Record below, and record the ventilation calculations, product information, slot dimensions, intake condition, and inspection results.