How To Cut Architectural Shingles For A Ridge Cap

Your roof is one of the most noticeable parts of your home’s exterior. When it looks good, your home looks good. When it looks bad, chances are your home isn’t looking its best.

One way that homeowners make their roofs look better is with ridge caps. These can be an excellent addition to your home. However, cutting them from architectural shingles isn’t always easy.

To cut architectural shingles for ridge caps, the best tool is a big pair of snips. You can also use a utility knife, but doing so repeatedly will dull the blade and hurt your knuckles. Before cutting, make sure that you’ve measured carefully to ensure that the ridge caps will fit your roofing needs.

As the name implies, ridge caps are specifically designed roofing materials that are meant to fit the ridges of roofs. Given their purpose, ridge caps are typically pre-bent and thicker than standard shingles.

Ridge caps also differ from standard shingles in the amount of adhesion they provide. They typically provide more than other roofing materials to make sticking them to ridges easier.

Finally, ridge caps also typically offer a thicker nailing area than regular shingles do. This is another feature that makes them easier to nail into the hard-to-reach crevices of your roof.

DIYers can certainly make architectural shingles work for their ridge cap needs. However, this isn’t necessarily the ideal material to use on your next project.

Ridge caps are usually made out of standard asphalt shingles. However, some builders prefer to use pre-fabricated roof caps. These can be made out of aluminum, copper, or even plastic.

Ultimately, any of these materials can be used for ridge caps without many issues. Picking your best option could be as easy as selecting the material that you can purchase for the least.

That being said, ridge caps made from each of these materials will look different. However, there are ways to paint or process the ridge caps to make them match the rest of your roof. This means there really isn’t a wrong answer to the question of what you should make your ridge caps out of.

Your costs for installing ridge caps can vary considerably based on several factors. The most important factor is whether you decide to install ridge caps yourself or hire a professional roofer to do it for you. Hiring a roofer could add as much as $1,000 to your overall price.

If you plan on doing the work yourself, all you’ll have to pay for is the materials needed to get the job done. Generally, you shouldn’t have to pay more than $200 to $300 for the actual shingles unless your roof is exceptionally long.

Some homeowners may question whether they actually need to install ridge caps on their roofs at all. However, it’s very important that you do so.

Whenever two roof planes come together at an angle, they create a peak or a valley. A large amount of the water that your roof receives will flow through your roof’s valleys. Ridge caps protect those valleys from leaking and damaging your home to a degree that standard shingles can’t match.

Ridge caps also protect the peaks on your roof. These can get excessive sun and wind exposure, which standard shingles won’t usually prevent from damaging your home.

Related Questions

Are there different grades of architectural shingles?

Yes, there are several different grades of architectural shingles that you can choose from. You’ll find lower-priced economy shingles, moderately-priced options, and high-end products. The difference typically comes down to how much protection the shingles offer through their thickness.

Are architectural shingles better than 3-Tab?

Yes, most roofing professionals would say that architectural shingles are better than 3-Tab ones. This is because they offer more protection than 3-Tab shingles do. At the same time, architectural shingles are also generally thought to look better than their 3-Tab counterparts. This makes them an ideal choice for your roof.