Ventilation system for tile roofs

Abstract

A ridge vent for tile roofs is provided having a vent strip located on each side of a roof ridge. The ridge vent includes a center water dam having a centering portion and two leg portions, with the centering portion being located over a ridge board. The vent strips includes a vent material, formed from a non-woven mat, including a first surface, which matches a surface of the tile roof, and a second surface. An upper water barrier is attached to the second surface of at least one of the vent strips and extends over the roof ridge. The ridge vent is rollable and can be provided as one piece or as separate components.

1 . A rollable roof ventilation system for a tile roof having a roof ridge, comprising:
 a center water dam assembly having a centering portion and two leg portions configured to be located over a ridge board;   a first vent strip comprised of first vent material, and having a first surface complementary to the tile roof, and a second surface;   a second vent strip located generally parallel to the first vent strip on an opposite side of the roof ridge, comprised of second vent material, and having a first surface complementary to the tile roof, and a second surface; and   at least one upper water barrier connected to at least one of the second surfaces of the first and second vent strips and extending there from toward the roof ridge.   
   
   
       2 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 1 , wherein the leg portions comprise baffles which are offset from the ridge board by stand-offs. 
   
   
       3 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 2 , wherein the stand-offs are located on the baffles. 
   
   
       4 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 2 , wherein the baffles define at least one opening configured to allow air flow through each of the baffles. 
   
   
       5 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 4 , wherein the openings are located in an upper portion of the baffles. 
   
   
       6 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 2 , wherein the baffles further comprise flanges on an outer end thereof for mounting the baffles to a roof. 
   
   
       7 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 1 , wherein a third vent strip is attached to one of the two leg portions of the center water dam assembly, and a fourth vent strip is attached to the other leg portion of the center water dam assembly. 
   
   
       8 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 7 , wherein a lower water barrier is attached to each of the third and fourth vent strips. 
   
   
       9 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one water barrier includes first and second water barriers attached to the first and second vent strips, respectively, each of the water barriers extending from a respective vent strip over the ridge board and toward the other water barrier. 
   
   
       10 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 9 , wherein a free end of at least one of the water barriers rests on the ridge board forming the roof ridge located between the first and second vent strips. 
   
   
       11 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 10 , wherein the first and second water barriers each include free ends which overlap each other. 
   
   
       12 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one ridge cap tile placed on the roof ridge, wherein first and second edges of the ridge cap tile rest on respective portions of the second surfaces of the first and second vent materials. 
   
   
       13 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one water barrier comprises a single water barrier having a first end that is attached to the first vent strip, and a second end that is in contact with the second vent strip. 
   
   
       14 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one water barrier comprises a single water barrier, and a first end of the single water barrier is attached to the first vent material, and a second end of the water barrier is connected by an adhesive to the second vent material. 
   
   
       15 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 1 , wherein the vent materials are comprised of a non-woven mesh material. 
   
   
       16 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 15 , wherein the non-woven mesh material is a synthetic fiber web treated with at least one binding agent. 
   
   
       17 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 16 , wherein the first and second vent materials are heat treated to promote expansion and calendered to promote post-installation expansion of the vent materials. 
   
   
       18 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second vent materials include contouring on the respective first surfaces for mating with complementing contouring of the tile roof. 
   
   
       19 . The roof ventilation system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a flexible carrier attached between the first and second vent strips. 
   
   
       20 . A method of improving ventilation to a building comprising:
 providing a roof having at least one vent slot disposed along a roof ridge, the roof having a plurality of mating tiles overlying the roof,   providing a water dam assembly having a centering portion and two leg portions configured to be located over a ridge board,   applying a first vent strip to the roof, the first vent strip including a first surface which conforms to the mating tiles and a second surface having at least a first upper water barrier attached thereto and extending therefrom, wherein the first vent strip is aligned generally adjacent to the roof ridge and wherein the water barrier at least partially bridges the roof ridge;   applying a second vent strip to the roof, the second vent strip including a first surface which conforms to the mating tiles and a second surface, wherein the second vent strip is aligned generally adjacent to the roof ridge on an opposite side from the first vent strip.   
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the step of providing a center water dam assembly and two leg portions includes providing a center cap with two baffles and standoffs to offset the baffles from the ridge board. 
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 20 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a third and a fourth vent strip,   attaching the third vent trip to one of the two leg portions of the center cap,   attaching the fourth vent strip to the remaining leg portion of the center cap,   providing a first and second lower water barrier; and   attaching the first and second lower water barrier to the third and fourth vent strips respectively.   
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 20 , further comprising connecting a free end of the first water barrier to the second surface of the second vent strip. 
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the step of connecting the free end of the first water barrier includes attaching the free end of the water barrier to the second surface of the second vent strip by an adhesive applied to at least one of the second surface of the second vent strip and the free end of the water barrier. 
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 20 , further comprising connecting at least one ridge cap tile having first and second ends to the roof along the roof ridge, wherein the first and second ends of the ridge cap tile rest on respective portions of the second surfaces of the first and second vent strips. 
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the step of providing a roof includes providing a roof with a ridge board, aligned with the roof ridge and connected to roofing rafters adjacent to the at least one vent slot, and further comprising connecting the ridge cap tile to the ridge board. 
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 26 , further comprising the step of positioning free ends of the first and second upper water barriers on a ridge board that forms the roof ridge. 
   
   
       28 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising the step of attaching the free ends of the first and second upper water barriers together.