Learn How To Replace A Roof Vent

Your home’s roof vents serve an important purpose: they give an avenue of escape for moist, humid air, preventing it from damaging the inside of your home. Generally, stem vents are installed above bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, or any other room where a lot of steam and water vapor will be generated.

A properly installed roof vent can last for many years, but as with any part of the home, they will wear out and break down over time. Once that happens, they need to be replaced, either by the homeowner or a professional roofing contractor.

Replacing a roof vent can be a difficult job, but it doesn’t need to be an insurmountable one. If you have the right tools and know-how, along with a little help, you can get the job done safely and without too much trouble. This article will give a few tips and pointers for getting the job done without damaging other parts of your roof or putting yourself at risk.

Why Keep Your Roof Vents in Good Shape?

Proper upkeep for roof vents is important because it will help to prevent damage and premature deterioration of multiple elements of your home. Condensation, caused by excessive water vapor in the air, is one of the primary causes of property damage in the home.

Without adequate ventilation, hot, humid air will accumulate in your attic, potentially warping the wood and damaging the shingles on your roof. This moisture buildup can also play havoc with your home’s insulation, and therefore energy efficiency, driving your energy bill up and costing you money. In many cases, building codes also require homes to have proper ventilation through well-maintained roof vents.

Note that even if you don’t live in a warm environment, you’ll still need a properly ventilated roof, and don’t worry that roof vents will make your home colder during the winter. They don’t, as this article from Home Advisor explains.

Different Types of Roof Vents

Not all roof vents are the same: there are several different types that exist, with box vents being the most common. Box vents are also the simplest and the ones we’ll focus on most in this article. They’re installed over holes cut in the roof and don’t require any moving parts. They simply allow humid air to escape the home naturally through the process of convection. Here, it's highly important to evaluate the material quality of roofing to reliability. The market is flooded with a series of roofing material types, if you wish to learn it in detail, click this link and get into insights.

Another common type of vent is the ridge vent, which is a bit more complex, being installed continuously along the roof’s peak. It also doesn’t require any moving parts, which could break down, although it is a more expensive option than the box vent. Ridge vents can remain hidden on the rooftops, making them more aesthetically appealing to some homeowners.

The other type of vent that has become a common sight is the wind turbine roof vent. These utilize wind power to draw hot air up and out of the home, helping to move a lot more air than the other methods, but because they make use of moving parts, they require more maintenance and are more prone to failure.

Tools You’ll Need

Most of the tools you’ll need to install a roof vent are very basic ones: a ladder, drill, hammer, nails, and a crowbar. You’ll also need an electric saw of some sort, such as a reciprocating saw. A pencil for making markings as you cut and a drill are also a necessity, as well as a caulk gun for sealing any openings around the vent.

Because you’ll have to climb onto the roof of your home to do any work on your vents, you’ll need to get some safety equipment as well. A lifeline connected to a climbing harness will help to prevent falls, while gloves and safety glasses will prevent other injuries.

Note that it’s also important not to do roofing work on your own: always use the buddy system and enlist a friend to help you, both to serve as an extra set of hands and an extra set of eyes looking out for your safety.

A Word About Safety

Once you’re sure you have the right materials and another person to assist you in the job, you can begin the process of replacing your roof vent. Once again, since you’ll be climbing around on the roof, safety is key: don’t attempt the job if the weather doesn’t permit. If it’s rainy, wet, and slippery, this can pose a safety hazard. That’s equally true if it’s very hot. Extreme heat can make it difficult to concentrate on working safely, so wait for a more temperate day to begin the job.

First Steps

As you begin learning how to replace a roof vent, you’ll discover the process rarely starts on the roof itself. In most cases, you’ll actually begin in the attic. There, you’ll be able to take note if there are any holes or leaks in your roof vent. Sometimes, you can fix minor issues by simply sealing these holes with a caulk gun, without having to worry about replacing the entire vent.

If the vent is too worn out to simply seal, you may have to climb onto the roof and carefully remove the vent. To do this, carefully pry up all the shingles around the vent itself. Make sure not to damage them in the process. You can then unscrew and remove the old vent.

Decide How Big the Job Is

Perform a thorough inspection of the area around where your new vent will go. Are there any holes in the duct piping? What about damaged shingles? Do you notice any rotted or otherwise damaged wood? Any of these issues can lead to leaks, which can cause a great deal of damage.

If you notice severe damage around your roofing vent, you need to contact a roofing professional, such as one from Interstate Roofing, to repair it for you. If you end up needing to do this, they can also replace the roof vent for you.

Replacing the Roof Vent

If you don’t find that you need to make any major repairs, you can simply slide the flange—the metal lip —of the vent underneath the surrounding shingles. The vent itself can then be attached with roofing nails. It’s critical that the vent be waterproof, so make sure you seal the flanges of any vents you install with a caulk gun.

Finally, you’ll reattach the shingles you have lifted and move on to the next vent.