Tip for Animal Prevention at Ridge Vent
Ryan has seen a lot of animal damage at ridge vents over the years. This picture to right, for example, shows a ridge vent that was recently replaced.
As you can see, there is significant chewing that has been done to this plastic piece of ridge vent. The squirrels had no problem chewing through the plastic and enlarging a hole once they found a weak spot.
The weak spots the squirrels found were gaps between the shingles and edge of the ridge vent caused by loose nails. As the plastic piece expanded and contracted over the years, the nails worked their way out. A loose ridge vent then contributed to making the spot inviting for squirrels. The gap caught their eye and their teeth did the rest.
The trick to not having animals get inside of ridge vents is to make sure that these inviting gaps do not open up over time. That is accomplished during the installation phase of the ridge vent.
What we have found over the years is that even though a lot of installers use the right length of nail, many don’t use what we believe are the right type of nails.
Ryan’s top tip today is to use ringed shank nails when installing ridge vents. Please watch the video to start.
Standard Roofing Nails vs Ringed Shank Nails
This video shares years of wisdom when it come to animals at ridge vents.
There is a great tip for ridge vent installation! —At least when it comes to preventing animal intrusion years down the road.
In the short term, there is probably no discernable difference between the performance of regular roofing nails and ring-shanked nails. But, in order to withstand 15 or more freeze/thaw cycles experienced by our northeast Ohio roofs, we highly recommend the nails with the better grip.
If you are a doubter, we simply ask you to drive a smooth-shanked roofing nail and a ring-shanked nails into some plywood and then pull them out. You are going to work harder getting the ring-shanked out. Over the years, the ring shank will outperform the smooth shank providing the preventative snug fit between ridge vent and shingles.
Nuisance Animal Removal & Ridge Vent Repair | Akron, Canton, Kent
If some squirrels or raccoons have already exploited a weak ridge vent at your house, we can still help.
We can get those animals out and make a repair to your ridge vent if necessary. Prevention is best, but experienced problem resolution will also provide peace of mind.
Give us a call today.
