If this helps, I finally figured out how to upload a photo of my house. I'm guessing the home is about 50 feet wide and 30 feet deep. I have a small attic fan (15" diameter more or less) on the back of the upper section that has been replaced once and needs replacing again. That's why I liked the idea of the ridge vent.

Second bid came in today:

$7600 approx. for roof. Includes ridge vent but will be an extra $1800 if I want drip edge ventilation - vents are $400 but they're requiring new 6" gutters for $1400 if I want this option. (just had siding w/ gutters replaced last year and i'm not thrilled about spending another $1400 to replace new gutter.)

First bid was $6700 for roof w/ ridge vent but no solution for lack of soffit vents.

Add Shingle Vent II for the entire Ridge Vent.

Add Smart Vent from DCI Products Inc. for the intake ventilation.

Seal off the gable vents.

Eliminate the dead powered attic ventilator fan.

Add Grace Ice and Water Shield for 3 feet at the eave edges.

With the Smart Vent for the intake ventilation, you will not need to replace or even move the gutters and reattach them. Even with the Eave Drip Edge Vent from Air Vent Corp., you should not have to remove the gutters, but possibly they may have to remove and reinstall the gutter hangers so the section that comes down into the gutter can be properly positioned.

I can not comment about pricing in your area or for other contracors, but the price you stated should be close to that price stated with a 30 architectural shingle and presuming a 1 layer tear-off.

Ed

Thanks Ed....and everyone else. I think I have a pretty good idea of what I need to have done. Now finding someone in my area to do it will be the hard part.

Are SmartVents relatively new or should my bidders know what I'm talking about when I bring them up?

I have been using Smart Vent for about 5-6 years now.

Alot of guys do not pursue doing the job 100 % correctly, so they do not ever consider the intake ventilation unless they are bidding ventilated perforated or lanced aluminum or vinyl soffit panels.

Ed

If they dont know about it you may not want them to install something they know nothing about.
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A Professional Roofing Sales Consultant, retired. If you need sales help just ask and you will receive. if you want check out my website and it is no pay period. More than willing to help anyone that needs help. Just ask and you shall receive.

I agree 100 %

How many times through the years though, have you done your follow up with a customer, (at least in the past, before fine tuning closings), and they told you that the other contractor now said he will change what he originally had in his bid to install "Exactly The Same" materials as you had specified and it was much cheaper than the price you had quoted. Can uou come down and match the other guy? F*** that!

Yeah, Right. Those jack-wads do not even know how to do it right, so that HO convinced himself that the guy experimenting with his home who will be using it as their personal guinee pig, and everything will turn out okay. It sometimes does not cross their mind that their is actually a special talent and contientiousness involved to strive for the best, if not perfect job on a regular basis.

I don't get those kind of slaps in the face anymore, but often, the HO will state that brand X company said they are doing everything that I am.

That is when it is show and tell time to look at the other proposals. Then the difference jump out,.....usually. Sometimes, they actually are giving away the farm, just to land the job.

Ed

Okay, bid three came in and they want to use drip edge venting as well. I haven't asked for Smart Vents because of the reasons you all mentioned. I don't want them to put in something they're not familiar with.

But now I'm starting to wonder....should I ask specifically for Smart Vents? I just assumed that if they were familiar with or if they believed in Smart Vents over drip edge venting, that they'd recommend it.

So should I print off what Ed recommended and say "give me a quote for this"...or should I just wait until I get someone that recommends Smart Vents?

Smart vent will look better. The drip vent is big and ugly. I think you have soffit iin the lower part by the garage but the top is where you should need the smart vent. I think smart vent is a better product.

But beware if they have never installed this they may haev issues on your home. Have them block those gable vents also. It will cause turbulant air in the attic with the ridge vent. Also it will pull from the path of least resistance. Basically the ridge vent from the corners will pull directly from the gable vents cutting off the lower portions of the roof. Did a smoke test on this a few weeks ago just to prove it. Any other questions drop a line. GTP
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A Professional Roofing Sales Consultant, retired. If you need sales help just ask and you will receive. if you want check out my website and it is no pay period. More than willing to help anyone that needs help. Just ask and you shall receive.

probably the reason they are unfamiliar with smart vent is that most suppliers dont push it and it is not advertised as much. after all most of us get our knowledge of new products from reps or suppliers. if they dont tell us about it and push us to try it....we probably wont even know it exists. i used it for the first time this year. seemed to work alright. i never heard of it until i saw it mentioned here.

The only way I found out about Smart Vent from DCI Products, was from an ad in the Roofers Exchange newspaper and after seeing it 2-3 months in a row, it piqued my curiosity.

It is very simple to install. Cut a 1" wide slot at the 6" to 7" point on the decking above the bottom eave edge and leave the decking solid for the last 12" at the gable edges and then nail it in place.

The Grace Ice and Water Shield goes on top of the Smart Vent. Then the normal shingle installation.

DCI Products just came out with tapered end pieces, to make the slight hump at the gable edges uniformly flat with the gable instead of having that 3/" to 1/8" tapered hump at the gable edges. Also, on their web site, if you do not have the tapered end pices, they give instructions on how to cut and create your own tapered end pieces to achieve the same affect.

Ed

geeks,

I agree with Ed on the full ridge and soffit vents.

As for the gable vents I address that issue here http://www.roofersreview.com/ShortCircuitMyth

If there is a major problem with excess heat in the summer, you can still install a power vent provided you have enough free air intake.
That issue addressed here; http://www.roofersreview.com/PowerVentilators

Besides the Smart Vent, DCI also makes a fascia vent that is installed behind the gutters. No need to replace, just remove and re-install. They won't be visible. And there is less chance of water from ice backup(if you have another problem) leaking into the eaves.



GTP,

"Your numbers are right but you can not mix them for the simple fact that the roof will be split apart."

????

"If i have to draw a pic i will."

Please do, I would like to see what you are trying to say.

"Did a smoke test on this a few weeks ago just to prove it. "

I'd like to see your results. Do you have pictures or video?
What did you use for smoke? Was it a tracer gas or something else?
What was the measured ACH during your test?
How about the wind direction and average speed?
Air temperature? Inside, outside, average, mean.
What was the time frame? 1 day,2 days, a week?
Was the house a ranch, colonial, split level?
What products were you testing? Smart vent? Shingle vent 2 or maybe Cobra?

Marshall Ext.,

"after all most of us get our knowledge of new products from reps or suppliers. if they dont tell us about it and push us to try it....we probably wont even know it exists."

That is a scary statement.
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Dennis M. Crookshanks Const. Slate Copper Tile - Restoration and Repair
Up to date roof ventilation information

I'd like to see your results. Do you have pictures or video? No i do not have a video crew on site when i am evaluating problems i should have tho

What did you use for smoke? Stuff my boss has i can get the name

Was it a tracer gas or something else? Basically a colored smoke

What was the measured ACH during your test? We did not measure things like that, we looked for direction and how the air was moving in a home.
WHen i was in the attic with the gable vents open all the air did i would say within 8 feet of the wall was swirl around and it never went out the ridge vent. From the outside you could see about 3/4 of the ridge vent working but the ends did nothing. The ridge line was about 40 feet.
How about the wind direction and average speed? calm 15-20 mph from the sw

Air temperature? 50 Inside, outside, average, mean.for the love of come on now do look like bill nye the sience guy
What was the time frame? 1 hour
Was the house a , colonial,
What products were you testing?Shingle vent 2 with gable vents open. Lady had a leak in a good rain/wind storm. The leak was about a foot off the gable vent inline with it. I did the smoke test to prove the gable was acting as a intake from both sides of the home.

See in a heavy wind around 50 was when it had wind driven rain comming in the gable vent. I put a smoke can nest to it an damn if it did not suck it up with the quickness. So basically it cut the roof off on both sides near the gable ends. I know you like your theory dennis. The thing i dont get is why you question multi billion dollar companies about how there product is supposed to be installed. Those cans were i think about 8 bucks a piece. Im not saying what you say is wrong i am just saying what i seen when i did a smoke test trying to figure out where the leak was. It helped when i went in the attic and seen the insulation was still soaked and battened down more than the rest in that area.

In all what i found is air must come from the soffit undisturbed to the ridge vent without any other vents. AIr vent states to not mix with any other ventilation products. I just go with what they say since im sure they spent a pile of money testing how, what, why, and why not. Just my thoughts on what i have found.

Take it for what its worth.
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A Professional Roofing Sales Consultant, retired. If you need sales help just ask and you will receive. if you want check out my website and it is no pay period. More than willing to help anyone that needs help. Just ask and you shall receive.

As far as keeping a power vent with ridge vent i should not have to draw a pic for you to understand that. Power vent turns on the closest place for it to pull air is the ridge vent so where do you think the air is going to come from? Simple it will turn the ridge vent into an intake for the time the power vent is on and suck in whatever weather comes along with it.

Why on earth do we argue about this ever single time it comesup.
_________________
A Professional Roofing Sales Consultant, retired. If you need sales help just ask and you will receive. if you want check out my website and it is no pay period. More than willing to help anyone that needs help. Just ask and you shall receive.

I would be interested in the place to get a safe smoke pot or what ever you used.

That would be a very good on site video from my digital camera.

I could uplad it to my Photo Bucket account and post it on some common forums.

Some people just disagree, GTP, thats all. Actually, I always like to hear from the other points of view on forums, as it brushes up my skills and knowledge during discussions with home owners.

Ed

dennis wrote:

Marshall Ext., "after all most of us get our knowledge of new products from reps or suppliers. if they dont tell us about it and push us to try it....we probably wont even know it exists." That is a scary statement.

how so? if i dont know it exists...how can i use it? and how do i know it exists?