Should roof ridge vents be open on the ends?
Ridge vents should not be left open on the ends because it allows critters to get inside. Incomplete installations missing their baffles create poor ventilation that can push attic smells down into the house. Additionally, the mesh covering the ridge vent can become completely clogged with dust.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from November 2026.
- This comes up 26.6× more often in r/homeowners than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Should roof ridge vents be open on the ends?
- 1Cutting or pulling out the insect mesh entirely.Did this help you?
- 2Taking a rag and dusting the base of the vent.Did this help you?
- 3Ensuring soffit intake baffles are fully clear and open to compensate.Did this help you?
- 4Applying roof caulk or sealant under the existing storm collar.Did this help you?
- 5Completely removing the old flap, caulking the gap, and replacing it.Did this help you?
- 6Installing a new metal storm collar that is wider than the vent pipe to cover the gap properly.Did this help you?
- 7Calling the roofing company back to evaluate and fix it.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I had this same issue. That little flap near the bottom is a storm collar and is supposed to protect water from getting in. Water does run off of it, but during heavy storms water was splashing back up and getting under the storm collar and leaking down to my water heater.”source ↗
“I have this same gap and water gets in sometimes. What is the point of the storm collar at all, and this gap, if you still need to caulk it?”source ↗
“We just had this issue fixed with our house; the previous sealant that was surrounding the furnace vent (b vent) pipe degraded so we had some water running down and dripping onto the ceiling during heavy rains.”source ↗
“Should the ridge vent be open on the end? What about critters?”source ↗
“This summer we experienced an attic smell making it into the house, and my suspicion was poor ventilation given the fact that they didn't install the baffles as agreed.”source ↗
“the manager of the crew independently pointed out that the mesh covering the ridge vent is clogged with dust.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2How do you install a roof vent with an attached collar?
- 12Are powered attic roof vents actually worth it?
- 3Roof vents installed off-center and poorly aligned
- 3Shingles lifting around chimney flashing
- 2Is a gap around exterior pipes acceptable?
- 3How to connect a second story gutter to a first story gutter cleanly