What is a ridge flashing?

Ridge battens are the ceramic or concrete, semicircular roof tiles that lie on top of a pitched tile roof. They lie over the top row of tiles on either side of a tiled roof and ensure that the roof is properly watertight. During roof inspections or leaks, we frequently see that ridge battens are loose, broken or missing.

A ridge frost can break due to frost. Moss is often found on ridge battens. Moss means a lot of moisture, which can migrate into the roof tiles and ridge frost. When it freezes in the winter, the moisture shrinks, increasing the likelihood that a tile or ridge frost will break. In such a case, it is wise to contact a roofer quickly, because in places where roof tiles or ridge vaults are broken, leaks are more likely to occur or rotten spots in your roof insulation.

When to replace ridge flashing?

At VIP Dakservice, we are often asked when ridge frost should be replaced. Basically, the lifespan of the ridge frost is about the same as that of a roof tile – if made of the same material and laid at the same time. This means that ridge vents are often replaced at the same time as roof tiles.

However, there are some exceptions:

In case of leaks

If there are roof leaks, your ridge vaults may need to be replaced sooner than the tiles on your roof. This depends on the condition of the ridge vaults and how many ridge vaults are affected. If there is only 1 ridge frost that has caused the leakage, we may only be able to replace that one ridge frost and the rest can be preserved.

Lots of moss forming on the ridge flashing

As mentioned earlier, ridge vents are quickly covered with moss. This is because moisture stays on the ridge frost more easily than with roof tiles. Are your ridge stems so affected that they have become porous and cause weak spots in your roof? Then our advice could be to have the ridge vaults replaced anyway to prevent future leaks as much as possible.

Missing or broken ridge flashing

Are ridge vents missing or broken? Then it is wise to start thinking about replacing your ridge battens as well. Depending on the quantity, of course, but often it is better to replace all the ridge stems at once than to replace a few every year.

During a free roof inspection we go up on your roof to check the condition of your roof. While doing so, we will also take a detailed look at the ridge battens on your roof and determine if they need replacement. Once down, we show you the photos we took of your roof and base our advice on them. We’ll provide a no-obligation quote and send it to you for you to review at your leisure. Of course we are open to answer all your questions and explain why we advise this. We love openness and honesty and this is reflected in our prices.

What types of ridge flashing are there?

The choices for replacing ridge vents are identical to your roof tiles. Each type of roof tile has matching ridge vents, and each type of ridge vents in turn has matching parts such as corner caps and fasteners. When replacing your roof completely, you may have different options than if you only have the ridge vents replaced. With new ridge battens you have a choice of:

• Semi-circular ridge battens.
  These are the most commonly used ridge forks and define much of the typical Dutch roofs.
• Corner capping forks
  The corner ridge fork – as the name suggests – is not used for the ridge of the roof, but on a corner: the place where two sides meet.
• Balloon forks
  Balloon forks have the same function as a ridge fork but are used particularly for tiles with large waves.

Besides the shape and function of the frosts, you also have a choice between closed or ventilating ridge frost. The ventilating ridge battens are widely used, they are waterproof but provide ventilation so that a moisture problem cannot occur.