Baffling Water Stains
by Henri de Marne
This month's column could aptly be
called "The Continuing Saga of
Unbaffled Ridge and Hip Vents," for it
demonstrates, once again, the problems
caused by improperly installed ventilation
systems.
At the time of this writing, I am
are essential to reduce heat loss into the
attic. Without equally adequate ventilation,
however, the attic temperature encourages
snow on the roof to melt from
beneath, resulting in the too frequent
problems caused by water ponding behind
increasingly thicker ice dams at the eaves.
However, if the ridge vent is not
protected by a wind baffle—or deflector, if
you will—the wind, following the roof
plane, can enter the ridge vent, thus turning
it into a positive