Slate roofing shingles, be they natural slate or artificial slate (slate-style), are desirable because of their beauty and durability among other things. Providing ventilation of attic space below a slate roof can, however, be a challenge for a variety of reasons. Ridge ventilation systems using ridge vents installed along ridges of a roof have become popular in general for ventilating attic spaces. While ridge ventilation systems are common for roofs covered with traditional shingles, applying them to the ridges of slate or slate-style roofs presents unique problems. For example, many slate roofs are steeply pitched making their ridges rather sharp compared to traditional roofs so that bending a ridge vent across the ridge can be problematic. Further, traditional ridge vents may have visible ventilation grids and baffles that project from beneath ridge cap shingles applied to the top of the ridge vent. It can, however, be considered unsightly by some to have ventilation grids exposed on a slate roof, and can be otherwise generally undesirable. Finally, many slate and slate-style roofs have ridge beams that extend along the ridge of the roof and these ridge beams can interfere with the installation and function of a ridge ventilations system. A need exists for a ridge ventilation system for use with slate or slate-style roofs that, among other things, will accommodate highly pitched roof ridges; that, when covered with ridge cap slates, is substantially hidden and does not have exposed ventilation grids; that will inhibit ingress of rain and snow; and that will accommodate roofs with ridge boards extending along the roof ridge. It is to the provision of such a ridge vent that the present disclosure is primarily directed.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds