EZ Ridge 10", Mountain Ridge 10"

 Ridge Caps Showroom

No laminated shingles should be without the improved shake look appearance of the Malarkey EZ Ridge 10" Ridge Caps or Certainteed's Mountain Ridge 10" Ridge Caps.

Why spend money on shake look shingles (laminates) unless the ridges and hips also look shake-like in appearance. It's an absolute shame when nice looking shingles are diminished by plain 3-tab or hip+ridge caps. The single thickness un-defined character of such plain fold over ridge caps can single-handedly ruin an otherwise pleasing roof-scape.

The two enhanced look ridge caps EZ Ridge 10 and Mountain Ridge 10" each have a bulked up thickness and thick butt look, both creating a saw tooth appearance to the ridge caps which does a good job of recreating the same saw tooth type look from real cedar ridge caps.

We always use the wider 10" width rather than the regular 8" width typically ordered. The first reason is better weather protection from the wider coverage, the second reason is sometimes the roofer can save a whole row of shingles when using the wider width. It is only nominally more money so we consider it good value and do not bother to stock the narrower version. Most importantly we do not trust the narrower version for ridge vent detailing because of the lack of coverage between a ridge vent slot and the leading edge of the ridge vent. There is no question to our company that in a rainy climate subject to wind driven rain, 10" width caps should be the minimum.

The EZ Ridge 10" caps are an update from the original shake look ridge called Ridgeglass and they have been used for a few years now in our area. The thick part is at the end butt on each cap, and are rolled around creating a nice thick look. The advantage is the product can be nailed with the same nail gun (we recommend HD Galvanized Coil or Hand Nails), even over ridge venting. In cold weather they should be warmed up to avoid cracking during installation. Malarkey produces this cap mainly in colours to coordinate with their brand of shingles, but many of the colours coordinate with other brands' shingles as well. EZ Ridge High Profile capping are fairly consistent colours from piece to piece (non-blended), and are best used in slightly darker colour choice to the shingle they are going to be installed upon (highlight the ridge).

The Mountain Ridge 10" caps was launched in 2007 by Certainteed. They did not want to utilize the Ridgeglass any longer with their shingles (Ridgeglass is now owned by GAFELK, a competitor of Certainteed, and GAFELK can be difficult to deal with for anyone ... customers or distributors), so they invented a new style innovative cap.

Three differences are highlighted in Mountain Ridge. First, the new way they are assembled has created a true two ply thickness on each cap, which is very thick at the butt end with a slightly rounded look to the thick butt ends. Second the caps are pre-folded to a typical roof pitch in the box. so it they are much easier to install, cold weather or not. The third difference is the colour blending is much more dramatic with each cap having a slightly different colour blend than the next. These colour blends match Certainteed colours very well, but can coordinate with other brands too. The last innovative feature is the packaging, as the box once opened can sit on steep pitch ridges like a saddle, making life much easier for roofers trying to cap off medium pitch and steeper pitch ridges.

As nice as Mountain Ridge and EZ Ridge looks,  when it comes to capping off ultra thick shingles such as Landmark TL, Presidential Shakes, Presidential TL, Grand Manor, and other super thick architectural shingles, Ridgeglass or Mountain Ridge 10" Capping is barely thick enough to accentuate the peaks of the roof. Ultra thick shingles require ultra thick capping or the ridges will be lost in all the texture of the shingle.

For those roofs, and any other architectural shingle, we highly recommend an added extra high definition ridge capping detail. This is accomplished by adding 9" ridge vent material beneath the Mountain Ridge 10" or Ridgeglass 10" High Definition Ridge.

Two styles of 9" Ridge Vent can be used successfully. The simplest to install is the TrimLine Rigid Vent which comes in 4' lengths or twenty foot rolls, and this ridge vent easily folds over the hip or ridge. The 5/8" thick version will achieve 13 square inches per foot free air venting while the 1" thick version achieves 19 square inches free air venting. The 5/8" thick with high definition caps installed directly on top adds an elegant refined shadow detail to both hips and ridges. Super definition is achieved with the use of TrimLine's 1" thick Rigid Vent along with EZ Ridge 10" or Mountain Ridge 10" caps installed on top. The ridge caps boosted to this extra high elevation create the ultimate crown moulding effect to the roof line.

On the ridge, Mountain Ridge 10" or EZ Ridge 10" caps mounted on TrimLine Rigid Vent creates a luxurious appeal while at the same time achieves much of the air venting requirements demanded of all shingle manufacturer warranties and all building codes. These air venting ridge details release the excessive heat in the summer season, as well as reduce the condensation and moisture build up of the winter season.

Whenever reviewing competitive bids on roofing projects watch out for what capping options (if any) are specified. It may make a difference of a couple of hundred dollars between differing bids, but it may make your home appear worth thousands less if the roof doesn't get the high definition ridge treatment it deserves architecturally.

Remember...40% to 70% of your home's curb appeal and architectural style is determined by the roof lines and roof texture, and the first thing one notices on the roof is usually the definition of the ridge. Try it sometime. Drive by a wood shake roofed home, and the first thing your eyes are drawn to is the saw-tooth rustic ridge appearance, then the texture of the roof. EZ Ridge 10" and Mountain Ridge 10" High Definition Ridge Caps try to create and mimic this same elegant look.

We highly recommend the use of high definition capping mounted on ridge vents on all hips and ridges on all thicknesses of laminated and architectural shingles.

We believe it is essential on thicker style laminates such as triple layer super-thick Landmark TL and Presidential TL Ultimate, as the thickness of the shingles will make the ridge lines disappear or be much less noticeable, unless the hips and ridges are increased in dimension, depth, and texture.

We also believe it is necessary on mid thickness heavy duty laminates, or other architectural shingles. Shingles such as Certainteed Landmark Premium, Malarkey Northwest XL, and BP Harmony are very nice looking shingles, and not accenting the caps not only takes away from decent looking roofscapes, it actually reduces the curb appeal of the roof. Often it is the ridge capping thickness, look, and effects that truly creates the most drama to the look, curb appeal, and luxury look of the home.

In 2008 we have added another ridge cap that also creates super thick ultimate definition. This new cap is called GAFELK "Vented RIDGECREST".

The Vented Ridgecrest is a combined cap and ridge vent all built into one piece. You install the vent and cap in one motion saving time. They come in popular colours that match GAFELK shingles, and may coordinate with other brands of shingles such as Certainteed.

The Vented Ridgecrest is about 12" in width, and go on in 10" per course coverage. They create the thickest look of all, and the largest saw tooth image. The are currently the highest definition ridge on the market. The cost is similar to EZ Ridge 10" mounted over Trimline Rigid Venting.

Our only concern is can they make enough of this wonderful looking caps, as demand often outstrips supply. Plus GAF being GAF, we expect they may discontinue this product line, as they have so many others over the last couple of years.

The Vented Ridgecrest can also be a wonderful accenting feature to install on the hips, thereby creating a truly awesome and unique roofscape.

The choice is yours.

To achieve superior high definition capping and wonderful curb appeal we recommend you have installed one of our inexpensive highly efficient ridge vents, such as Trim-Line Rigid Vent or Lomanco LOR-9 Rigid Vent beneath the great looking Mountain Ridge high definition enhanced ridge caps as the best solution. And we highly recommend of the Trim-Line Rigid Vents below all the "hip" caps to create the ultimate curb appeal for your home.

Enhance your home's value by increasing its curb appeal. Plus enjoy the great looks of a smart looking roof.