How to Install Ridgeline Vents Without Soffits

Cut a 3-inch-wide patch of decking from the roof on either side of the peak, just below the ridge with a circular saw set to a depth of 3/4 inch. Pry the decking from the area with a pry bar. Remove the nails with a claw hammer to leave a 6-inch-wide opening along the top of the ridge.

Pull up the edge of the next row of shingles and the roofing felt below the cut. Slip the edges of the ridgeline vent under the loosened shingles along each edge. Nail the metal lip of the vent to the roof with 2-inch roofing nails. Fold the shingles back over the edge of the metal lip. Nail them in place, one nail every 18 inches.

Fold ridge shingles over the top of the vent and nail in place, working from the ends of the roof toward the middle. Nail the shingles in the back corners, hiding the nails by overlapping the shingles as you go. Install shingles toward the middle of the roof and position one piece in the center covering the ends of the shingles from either end. Top nail this last piece in each corner.

Mark the outline of the gable vents on the gable wall at each end of the attic. Cut along the line with a circular saw, cutting through the sheathing and siding.

Measure and cut two pieces of 2-by-4 lumber to fit horizontally between the two nearest studs. Nail them in place, flush with the top and bottom edges of the opening you cut. Nail through the studs into the ends of the new 2-by-4s. Cut two more 2-by-4s to fit between the two horizontal pieces. Nail them in place flush with the side edges of the opening.

Fit the vent into the opening and nail the installation flange to the 2-by-4s you just installed. Caulk around the edges of the vent with 100 percent silicone caulking.