One of the most overlooked aspects of a quality roof system is the proper material selection for the hip and ridge caps. Beyond valleys, hips and ridges face some of the harshest conditions on your roof. Cap shingles typically face more UV exposure and wind than any other area. They are also one of the only areas on your roof where shingles are not laid flat (The other is in a closed valley application) They are bent to form and fit the contour of the hip or ridge line. The stress from this forming along with the extra wind and sun exposure make cap shingles one of the first failure points on your roof system. Today I’d like to take a look at the options for cap shingles. Specifically, which options will enhance your roof assembly and which ones will undoubtedly cause premature failure.
A Quick History Of Cap Shingles
Prior to laminate shingles becoming the industry standard, most roof replacements were done using traditional 3 tab shingles. The common practice was to use the same shingles for caps. They were simply cut at each tab length and installed at all hip and ridge lines. This practice is still acceptable by the industry, as the cap shingles being used are of the same material, wind rating and expected life span as the shingles being used in the field. The introduction of laminate shingles, however, has changed this thinking.
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