How to Install Hip and Ridge Cap Shingles the Right Way
Start at the bottom of each hip, start at the end opposite the prevailing wind, nail outside the exposure and finish the last cap with a dab of cement.
- Advanced
- 2 to 6 hours
- Updated
The short answer
Install manufactured hip and ridge cap starting at the bottom of each hip and working up, then across each ridge starting from the end away from the prevailing wind so the exposed edges face away from it. Each cap is folded over the peak, exposed about 5 to 5-5/8 inches, and nailed with two nails placed 5/8 to 1 inch in from each edge and about 1 inch above the exposure line. The last cap is cut and cemented.
Hips and ridges are where two slopes meet at the top of a roof, and cap shingles are what seal that line against rain and wind. A cap is a single shingle bent over the peak and nailed on both sides, overlapped by the next one. Done right, it makes a neat, wind-tight spine. Done wrong, it cracks in the cold, lifts in a storm or shows a line of nails down the ridge.
Modern manufactured caps are thicker than plain shingles, pre-cut and sealed with a factory adhesive strip. They are designed to bend over a peak without breaking, but they still need to be warm enough to bend and nailed in the right place. The first cap at the bottom of the hip and the last one at the end of the ridge are the two details that usually give trouble.
This guide covers the cap itself. Before the cap goes on, the field shingles must be trimmed along the hips as shown in how to shingle a hip roof, and any ridge vent must be in place: see how to install a ridge vent. To replace a damaged ridge on an existing roof, see how to replace ridge cap.
Tools
- Roofing hammer or cap nailer
- Hook blade utility knife
- Chalk line
- Tape measure
- Caulking gun
- Roof jacks for steep ridges
- Fall arrest harness and anchor
Materials
- Manufactured hip and ridge cap shingles
- Roofing nails, 1-1/2 to 2 inch galvanized
- Asphalt roof cement
- Self-adhered membrane for the ridge and hips
- Ridge vent, where fitted
Safety first
- Ridges are narrow and exposed. Stay tied off and never stand on a ridge in wind or when shingles are wet.
- Caps are slippery and awkward to handle. Keep the bundle on a stable spot and do not carry a stack along the ridge.
- Keep the blade retracted when walking a hip or ridge.
Step by Step
Step 1: Prepare the ridge and hips
The field shingles on both slopes should be cut to within about 1/2 inch of the hip or ridge, and nails kept out of the cap zone. Sweep off granules and debris so the adhesive bonds.
Lay a strip of self-adhered membrane over the ridge and hips where the manufacturer or code requires it. Some roofs have a continuous ridge vent: the cap goes over the vent, and only caps designed for that use should be used.
Step 2: Snap a centre line and mark the exposure
A line down the centre of the hip or ridge keeps each cap centred. Caps that wander off centre show one side longer than the other. Mark the exposure, which is usually about 5 to 5-5/8 inches, though it varies with the product.
If the cap has a printed nail line or an exposure marking, use it. The exposure mark is the part of each cap left showing.
Step 3: Cut and bend the caps
Manufactured caps are either pre-cut or come as a strip to be separated. Bend them gently. A cap folded tightly on a cold day cracks along the fold. On a warm day they bend easily, and a cap that is warm and flexible is less likely to crack.
Do not pre-bend caps on a slope and leave them. Bend each one as it is laid.
Tip: In cold weather, store the cap bundles in a warm place and bring up only a few at a time. See how to shingle in cold weather.
Step 4: Start at the bottom of each hip
The first cap at the eave end of the hip overhangs the eave by about the same amount as the field shingle, and is often trimmed to a point. Each following cap laps over the previous one, which keeps the joints water-shedding.
Lay the caps so the exposed edge faces down the hip. Check after every few caps that they remain centred on the line.
Step 5: Start the ridge opposite the prevailing wind
Wind lifts the exposed edge of a shingle. If the caps are lapped so the edge faces the wind, the wind gets under it. So start at the lee end and work toward the windward end, so each cap's exposed edge faces away. Wind direction varies with the site, the season and the terrain, so look at how wind actually hits your ridge and start at the end opposite that direction.
On a hip roof, hips are capped first. The ridge caps then lap over the tops of the hip caps, so the ridge is the last of the cap layers.
Step 6: Nail outside the exposure, two per cap
Use nails long enough to go through the cap, the field shingles and into the deck, typically 1-1/2 to 2 inches. Nails that only go through the shingle layers do not hold. Keep nails flush, and check that they are not through the exposure area. See shingle nailing: placement, count and depth.
On ridge vents, use the longer nails the vent manufacturer specifies, because the cap sits on top of the vent and the nail must reach the deck.
Watch out: A nail in the exposed part of the cap is a leak. If it is missed, cover the head with roof cement.
Step 7: Finish the last cap at the end of the ridge
The last cap has no shingle after it to cover its nails. Trim it to sit properly, nail it in the usual place, and set the two exposed nail heads in dabs of roof cement. Some roofers also lay a small piece of cap across the end.
Seal the tip of each hip at the ridge in the same way. A thin bead of cement at each exposed nail and end is enough.
Cap Shingles Versus Cutting 3-Tab
On older roofs, caps were cut from 3-tab shingles, one shingle into three pieces. Laminated shingles are too thick and stiff to cut and bend that way, and manufacturers require a purpose-made cap for most laminated products. If a 3-tab cap is permitted, cut on the slots and follow the same exposure. Check the wrapper before using a cut shingle.
Cold Weather Cracking
The most common cap failure is cracking along the fold when the cap is bent cold. Below roughly 5 to 10 degrees C, most caps get stiff. Keep bundles warm, bend slowly, and lay caps in the warmest part of the day. If caps still crack, stop and wait.
Common Mistakes
- Starting the ridge at the windward end. The exposed edges face the wind and lift.
- Nails too short. Nails that miss the deck do not hold, and the ridge is the place a storm finds first.
- Nailing in the exposure. The heads show and leak.
- Bending cold caps. They crack along the fold, and cracked caps leak.
- Caps off-centre. One side shows more than the other, and the line looks crooked.
- Using field shingles as cap. Laminated shingles are too stiff for the fold and can split.
When to Call a Professional
If the ridge is long, high or steep, or if there is a ridge vent, have a roofer install the cap. The ridge is the narrowest and most exposed part of a roof, and work there needs fall protection that is set up properly. A failing or blown-off cap should also be looked at promptly, since the ridge is open to rain until it is repaired.
If caps have cracked on an older roof, it may be a sign of age, heat, or poor ventilation in the attic. A roofer can tell whether the cap alone needs replacing.
Fraser Roofing does free roof inspections across the Fraser Valley, from Hope to Abbotsford. See our Roof Replacement service or the towns we cover.
How to Install Hip and Ridge Cap Shingles: Questions
What is the exposure for ridge cap shingles?
Most manufactured hip and ridge cap products have an exposure of about 5 to 5-5/8 inches, but it varies by product. The exposure is the part of each cap left showing, and each cap is nailed above that line so the next one covers the nails. The wrapper and installation instructions give the exact figure.
Which direction do you install ridge cap shingles?
Start at the end of the ridge away from the prevailing wind and work toward the windward end, so the exposed edges face away from the wind and cannot be lifted. Hips are capped first, from the eave upward. Check how wind actually hits your ridge, since terrain and season change the direction.
How many nails per ridge cap shingle?
Two nails per cap, one on each side, about 5/8 to 1 inch in from the edge and about 1 inch above the exposure line. The nails must be long enough to reach the deck through the cap and the field shingles, commonly 1-1/2 to 2 inches. Nails in the exposed part of the cap leak.
Can you install ridge cap in cold weather?
Yes, with care. Caps get stiff in the cold and crack along the fold. Keep the bundles warm until needed, bend each cap slowly, work in the warmest part of the day and be ready to seal with hand-applied cement where the adhesive will not activate. Stop if the caps crack when bent.
Can you use regular shingles for ridge cap?
Laminated shingles are too thick and stiff to bend over a ridge without splitting, and manufacturers usually require a purpose-made cap. Older 3-tab shingles were cut into three pieces for caps, which some makers still allow. Check the wrapper. A manufactured cap is cheap and is the better choice.
Related Guides
All Asphalt Shingles guides|The full How-To Library
This guide is general education. Always follow the product manufacturer's installation instructions, the BC Building Code and WorkSafeBC requirements, which take priority over anything written here.
Want someone to look at your roof?
Kory & Johnny have roofed homes across the Fraser Valley since 2016. Free inspections, honest estimates, no pressure.
604-728-0146Text UsEmailServing Hope, Agassiz, Chilliwack, Rosedale, Abbotsford & the entire Fraser Valley