How do you make ridge cap shingles, and can you make your own?
Cutting caps from 3-tab shingles
- Turn the shingle face down on a cutting board.
- Cut straight up from each tab slot to the top edge, giving three pieces about 12 by 12 inches.
- On each piece, trim a small taper from both sides of the top, unexposed half, so the corners do not stick out from under the next cap.
- Bend each piece over the ridge to check the fit. In cool weather, warm the pieces first or they may crack along the fold.
Install them with about a 5 inch exposure, starting at the end opposite the prevailing wind, with two nails per piece placed where the next cap will cover them.
Why not cut architectural shingles
Architectural shingles are two layers bonded together. Bending them over a ridge cracks the asphalt and can split the layers apart, and the uneven thickness makes caps sit unevenly and catch wind. Manufacturers make hip and ridge caps sized and colored for their architectural lines, and their installation instructions and enhanced warranties call for those products.
Cost and looks
Cut 3-tab caps are cheaper, but on an architectural roof they look thin and flat next to the dimensional field shingles, and a slightly different color stands out right on the ridge line where everyone sees it. Purpose-made caps are thicker, often pre-bent, and blend with the field.
Compare shingle types in architectural vs 3-tab shingles, and see how caps work with vents in ridge vent vs box vents.