Greenhouse Ridge Vents
Reliable roof ventilation for greenhouses and sunrooms
Why Ridge Vents?
- Prevents heat build-up
- Natural convection cooling
- Manual or automated
- Custom sizing available
Planning Your Greenhouse or Sunroom?
Choosing the right roof components will shape your entire experience. The type of structure, ventilation method, and roof transparency will determine whether you enjoy a smooth project or face unexpected and costly problems later.
Structure Type
Aluminum or wood-framed greenhouse and sunroom compatibility
Ventilation
Proper airflow prevents heat build-up and maintains comfort
Transparency
Glass options that balance light transmission and heat control
What Are Ridge Vents?
Ridge vents work like operable windows placed at the peak of the roof. They are not mechanical fans. Each vent is an aluminum-framed unit with hinges that opens manually with a crank or through a motorized actuator connected to a thermostat.
Some can also be operated with a solar opener. They replace one fixed panel of glass at the very top of the roof. Flashing is required when installing them.
- Ridge vents can be fitted into most aluminum structural bar systems or wood-framed greenhouses and sunrooms. They are always custom sized to fit the opening.
Important Things to Know
Glass roofs look great and let in plenty of light. But sunshine always brings heat. Over many years of building glazed spaces, one thing has always stayed true: heat will build up inside any sealed glass environment.
Why Every Greenhouse or Sunroom Needs Ridge Vents
Heat will always rise
Warm air collects at the highest point of a glazed roof. Without an opening, there's no escape route.
Glass coatings cannot stop heat build-up
Coatings help reduce UV infiltration but they do not stop solar heat gain. Inside a greenhouse or sunroom, trapped heat builds quickly under a glass roof.
Ridge vents release heat efficiently
Even a simple ridge vent provides a path for hot air to leave while cooler air enters through doors and operable windows. This constant movement of air is called convection.
Convection Explained
- Warm air rises
- Cooler air drops
- When warm air escapes through ridge vents, cooler air replaces it
- This cycle keeps temperatures stable instead of allowing heat to build up
Natural Air Circulation
This constant movement of air is what makes ridge vents so effective. The natural process of convection creates a self-regulating system that maintains comfortable temperatures without mechanical equipment.
- Without proper ventilation, greenhouses and sunrooms get extremely hot in the summer. The space quickly becomes uncomfortable and unusable.
Ridge vents prevent this by allowing hot air to escape before temperatures climb out of control. For this reason, ridge vents should be included in every glazed roof — for both greenhouses and sunrooms.
Ridge Vent Construction & Glazing Options
The vents shown on this page are examples of aftermarket ridge vents that can be ordered, retrofitted, or installed on most greenhouse and sunroom frames. They are built from aluminum and designed to operate smoothly and last for many years.
Glazing Options
- Double-glazed glass
- Single-glazed glass
- Painted finishes
- Custom sizing for aluminum or wood-framed structures
Operation Methods
Manual Crank
Simple hand-operated mechanism
Motorized Actuator
Connected to thermostat for automatic control
Solar Opener
Eco-friendly solar-powered operation
- Ridge vents are one of the most valuable upgrades you can add to a greenhouse or sunroom.