In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 8 Sep 2018 22:14:45 -0000 (UTC), Wayne
Boatwright wrote:

On Sat 08 Sep 2018 01:52:36p, told us...

On Sat, 8 Sep 2018 07:48:02 -0700 (PDT), Davej
wrote:

On Friday, September 7, 2018 at 6:59:10 PM UTC-5, trader_4 wrote:
On Friday, September 7, 2018 at 7:08:44 PM UTC-4, Davej wrote:
Something else I noticed on my "house-built-by-idiots" is that
my ridge vents look bad. They are buckled and not tight
against the roof. Also it is run over gable areas where I
think it simply can't fit correctly. What is the proper way to
terminate a run of ridge vent?

Usually it runs to the ends of the roof, with cap shingles over
top. The last two feet or so, where it extends over the roof
edges, there is no slot cut in the roof. Is this the rigid kind
or the kind that comes on rolls and looks like the filter stuff
they use in window air conditioners? IMO, the rigid is the only
one I'd use. And if it's installed right it shouldn't be
buckled.

Does ridge vent last as long as a roof? This may be original work
which would be 18 years old. Ridge vent is plastic... maybe I
simply need to replace it? Roof is 18 and may last another 3-5
years.


If it's plastic, you're lucky it lasted that long. Plastic decays
from sunlight. Some more than others, but they all do. Thats the
same reason that vinyl siding gets deformed and buckled over time.
I make a point of not using any plastic on the exterior of my
home.



Really good quality vinyl siding with proper installation can last
for decades and still look good. Unfortunately there is also cheap
vinyl siding and poor installers. A couple of years ago I went back
to visit where I lived 30 years ago in a house with vinyl siding.
The roof had since been replaced, but the siding didn't need it and
it still looked good.

If they built houses on their side, the siding would get more sunlight
and wear out faster, but the roof would last longer.