How to Open a Roof for a Vent

Roof vents allow hot air in the attic space to dissipate outdoors. Lower temperatures in the attic reduce energy costs for cooling the home. Vents can be installed in the soffits, the gable ends or the shingled surface of the roof. Installing roof vents in the shingled surface involves opening the shingles and creating a hole through the roof sheathing.

Hammer
Jig or reciprocating saw
3-inch wood screws
Roofing tar

Instructions

- 1
  Mark the location of the planned vent by driving a nail from the attic through the roof sheathing and shingles. Drive the nail at the midpoint between two rafters to take advantage of the largest open space.
- 2
  Locate the nail on the shingle surface. Using the nail as the center point, mark out the perimeter of the roof vent.
- 3
  Cut through the shingles along the lines using a utility knife. Cut through all layers and pry the shingles loose from the roof sheathing.
- 4
  Cut through the roof sheathing using a jig or reciprocating saw. If you avoided the rafters you should only be cutting through plywood or oriented strand board and not encounter any nails.
- 5
  Fit the flange of the roof vent under the edges of the shingles remaining around the opening. The flange on the top side of the vent should fit under the shingles while the flange below the vent on the slope of the roof should be over the shingles.
- 6
  Gently lift shingles over the flange to access the screw holes. Use 3-inch wood screws to fasten the roof vent to the roof sheathing or rafters.
- 7
  Fasten the shingles in place around the vent using roofing tar or cement. Place the roof tar under the shingles to hold them in place.

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