Composition Roof, Roof damage from improper installation, need advice

- Gable end vents can help, but mixing them with ridge vents sometimes backfires. Air can short-circuit between the two, reducing the draw from soffits and leaving parts of the attic stagnant.
- Full ridge venting is usually most effective when paired with continuous soffit vents. Slits in the wood are a start, but unless they're wide and unobstructed, they might not provide enough intake.
- I’ve seen cases where oversized gable vents actually pulled air in from the ridge instead of the soffits, especially on windy days. That can leave lower attic areas poorly ventilated.
- If you’re worried about airflow, it might be worth measuring actual intake area at the soffits versus exhaust at the ridge. Sometimes people overestimate how much air those slits let in.
- Galvanized custom vents sound solid for durability, but if you’re relying on them as primary intake or exhaust, just double-check that they’re not disrupting the intended flow pattern.
- In my experience, balanced intake and exhaust - ideally with more intake than exhaust - prevents a lot of headaches down the line (mold, shingle curling, etc.).
- Not saying your setup won’t work, just that sometimes more isn’t always better if it throws off the balance. Worth a second look if you’re seeing any signs of moisture or heat buildup.

“sometimes more isn’t always better if it throws off the balance. Worth a second look if you’re seeing any signs of moisture or heat buildup.”

That’s been my experience too. I had a mix of gable and ridge vents on my last place, and honestly, it just confused the airflow. Ended up with moldy insulation near the eaves - wasn’t pretty. Swapped to continuous soffit and ridge vents, and things dried out fast. If you’re seeing curling shingles or damp spots, it’s probably time to rethink the vent setup before it gets worse. Sometimes less is more, weirdly enough.

The house that I enlarged the vents didn't have ridge vents, only soffit vents.  I just enlarged the gable vents because the old ones were coming apart.  Yes, I walked all around, looked inside the attic, and found everything nice and solid.  As the homeowner, I can take the risk of a sketchy repair.  If I were a contractor working on a customer's house, I would never do a repair like I did.  I will monitor the repair a lot.  The rest of the roof has life left in it and I know that it will need replacement in the future.  

That sounds pretty reasonable to me, honestly. I’ve done a few “temporary” fixes on my place that ended up lasting years. As long as you’re keeping an eye on it and know the roof’s got some life left, I wouldn’t stress too much. Sometimes you just gotta work with what you’ve got...

- Temporary fixes can hold up, but they’re always a gamble.
- Seen plenty of “quick patches” last longer than expected, but also seen them fail at the worst time - usually during a storm.
- If you’re dealing with composition shingles and improper install, have you checked for lifted edges or missing nails? Those are weak spots that can get worse fast.
- Curious - how old’s the roof, and what kind of weather do you usually get? That makes a big difference in how long those fixes will actually last.