SVS Siding Vent System

Cor-A-Vent's second major product announcement of 2009 is the introduction of the Siding Vent System (SVS), which features new Sturdi-Strips™.

Sturdi-Strips are plastic furring strips that won't rot or split like traditional wood or lath furring strips. They're made from heavy-duty polypropylene plastic and can be power-nailed for fast installation. The 1 1/2" wide by 1/2" thick by 4-foot long strips are easy to handle and tack into place and are perfect for use with Cor-A-Vent's SV-3 Siding Vent to make the perfect rainscreen wall, also known as the new Siding Vent System.

We've talked about the proven need for building effective rainscreens before, and particularly about compartmentalized systems for areas that experience high winds and moisture. The Siding Vent System provides all of this is an affordable, easy-to-use package. The Siding Vent System comes with 18 4-foot long pieces of SV-3 and 56 Sturdi-Strips, or enough to create a rainscreen wall at 8-feet high by 36-feet long.

Sturdi-Strips are priced competitively against the cost of using treated lumber and the SVS system package will be beat competitive products (read: HomeSlicker) in price, function and ease of installation.

Call us today at 800-837-8368 to learn more about where to buy Sturdi-Strips and the SVS Siding Vent System.

Introducing NEW Revolution Rolled Ridge Vent

First Truly 'Green' Ridge Vent, available in March '09

COR-A-VENT, Inc. is proud to introduce the first shingle-over ridge vent made from 100% pre-consumer recycled plastic, NEW Revolution Rolled Ridge Vent.

Revolution (REV-11) is the only truly “Green” ridge vent available (certification pending). The 11-inch wide by 20-foot long plastic vent core is made entirely from the same polypropylene plastic used to manufacture all of COR-A-VENT’s other products. We meticulously capture the excess scrap during production, reprocess it and feed it directly into the Revolution, keeping it out of landfills while also reducing the use of petroleum needed for new plastic production.

Revolution’s precisely spaced ventilation channels provide 12 square inches of Net Free Vent Area per lineal foot to promote the removal of damaging moisture and heat from inside your attic. This helps reduce heating and cooling loads when used in conjunction with balanced intake ventilation. The simple, yet highly effective structural design of Revolution supports power-nailability for easy installation on asphalt shingle roofs, while also providing protection from rain, snow & insects.

Thanks to the exclusive Starter Band, Revolution’s easy-to-handle 20-foot rolls allow for one-man installation. Each box of Revolution also includes two coils of 1 ¾” galvanized roofing nails and peel-and-stick Revolution End Caps.

Available in 2009. Join the Revolution – visit http://www.revolutionvent.com/ for release dates, installation instructions and links to construction details and more COR-A-VENT information. Over 30 years ago, COR-A-VENT, Inc. introduced the first shingle-over ridge vent and changed residential roofing forever. Today, COR-A-VENT is the most widely recognized name for venting residential and light-commercial structures – A Trusted Name in Attic Ventilation since 1976™.

Rainscreens in BC

Here's a link to an August 2008 newsletter about rainscreens up in British Columbia. Lots of great info about rainscreens and ventilation behind exterior cladding that is pertinent everywhere, not just in Canada. We recommend reading the whole thing, but here's a particularly salient passage:


Rainscreen Walls Benefit From Cladding Ventilation

The function of the airspace between the cladding and the back-up construction of a rainscreen assembly is to provide drainage, ventilation, and a capillary break. Drainage removes any bulk water that penetrates past the cladding. However, drainage alone cannot remove small droplets of bound water or water absorbed into the sheathing, strapping or cladding.

Ventilation is shown to have a significant impact on this aspect of performance in rainscreen walls. A 3/8˝ to 3/4˝ continuous open gap behind the cladding, which is common for most residential construction, is generally sufficient. This airspace is typically created using vertical strips of treated wood strapping/furring or metal girts. Proprietary products are also available to create this gap.

Some proprietary drain-mat products are impermeable to vapour, therefore ventilation is critical and extra care must be taken not to block any of the vent openings with these systems. Cladding ventilation reduces relative humidity within the rainscreen cavity and serves to help dissipate the small amount of water that may get past the cladding and through penetration details from time to time.


Absorptive claddings such as brick, stucco, or cement board can also introduce vapour into the cladding cavity and ventilation can remove this moisture as well. Where ventilation rates are insufficient, an inward vapour drive can result in increasing moisture within the wall structure to the interior. To ensure adequate ventilation, large and unrestricted vent openings should be provided through the cladding.


Continuous cross-cavity strip vent openings are ideal. Discrete vent openings (such as the ones used in brick veneer) are also effective but they can reduce the ventilation flow and result in moisture ingress if designed or constructed incorrectly. Venting of the wall cavity at both the top and bottom of each wall region is the most effective–and allows for continuous natural ventilation.


Cor-A-Vent Siding Vent is the perfect product for a rainscreen - a continuous cross-cavity strip vent that allows moisture to drain and air to flow through. And we'll be introducing a new addition to the Siding Vent family in 2009, so check back here soon for all the details.

Introducing New S-400TAN

COR-A-VENT's popular S-400 Strip Vent line has added a new color - Tan. Already available in White and Black, the S-400TAN has a consistent caramel-colored tone throughout each 4-foot length to blend in nicely with cedar or other stained or painted overhangs. Click the picture above for a closer look.

S-400 Strip Vent has become the preferred choice for continuous soffit intake ventilation from coast to coast. S-400 can be installed in any overhang design - from boxed-in eave to zero-overhang - to give you the most Net Free Vent Area (10 sq. inches per foot) to go with the cleanest possible look. And with three color choices, the options are nearly endless. Check out our Downloads page for more ways to use S-400.

New and Improved IN-Vent

A year ago, COR-A-VENT introduced IN-Vent, an on-the-rooftop intake vent for when you can't put ventilation in the soffits or overhangs. Today, we're re-introducing IN-Vent, now with 10 square inches of Net Free Vent Area per lineal foot, the highest NFVA of any shingle-over intake vent on the market.

With 10" NFVA, IN-Vent stands head and shoulders above the competition with more than three times the amount of actual airflow than SmartVent. Check out our comparison from last year, but note that the airflow numbers do not reflect IN-Vent's newly increased NFVA.

Below is another comparison chart to see the advantages of IN-Vent over the other shingle-over intake vents out there. Click on the picture for a larger, printable PDF file. For more product information, go to the IN-Vent page on the COR-A-VENT website.

Venting in California

UPDATE (11-3-08): This continues to be a big topic of discussion, and as of yet, there are few answers for just exactly what product or solution will work or be approved to meet the current Wildland Urban Interface specifications.

However... Cor-A-Vent is working on a new product that will provide some answers and we hope to have it ready to sell by early 2009, in time for next year's building season, and possibly for the International Builders Show in Las Vegas. Stay tuned...

Providing a proper ventilation system for your roof in the state of California has long been a challenge, and continues to be so. Ever-changing building codes to address the "concern du jour" keep builders and designers on their toes in the Golden State. From earthquakes to wildfires, there always seems to be another natural disaster looming that will force building officials to create newer, stricter codes to combat the destructive forces of Mother Nature.

The wildfire issue is of much concern lately. Throughout the state, but in particular Southern California, wildfires have burned millions of acres and destroyed thousands of buildings and homes. Of the myriad changes to fire codes in recent years, ventilation has been in the spotlight. Recent code changes in many cities and counties have required the removal of any intake ventilation from soffits and overhangs, the traditional location for these types of venting.

Intake ventilation is integral in a proper roof ventilation system and many in California are looking for new answers. The University of California offers very helpful information on this issue on its website, including this bit of advice:

"In some new construction, soffit vents are often being eliminated. In those cases, the inlet vent function is being performed by through-roof vents located in the lower region of the roof..."

Cor-A-Vent offers just this solution with our IN-Vent product, designed to provide intake ventilation when your soffits are inaccessible. IN-Vent will provide 10 sq. inches of Net Free Vent Area per lineal ft. and blend in with your shingles for an effective, yet unobtrusive solution for proper ventilation while meeting code requirements. Cor-A-Vent's V-300 8.5-inch and Fold-A-Vent 8.5-inch ridge vents are UL Class A rated ridge vents that will properly balance out a vent system using IN-Vent for intake.

Welcome to 2008

Cor-A-Vent would like to extend a hearty Happy New Year to everyone out there, and we hope you had a merry Christmas as well.

We want to remind everyone that the International Builders Show is coming up soon, Feb. 13-16, and Cor-A-Vent will be at booth no. S11747. The show is once again in Orlando, Fla. before (finally) heading back to Las Vegas next year.

The building and roofing industries had a very unique 2007 and hopefully we won't have to use any such code words to describe 2008. Over the last year, Cor-A-Vent introduced three new products that have proven to be very popular because of their unique features, simple installation and beneficial qualities.

The Roof-2-Wall Vent, Siding Vent and IN-Vent offer solutions for venting difficult details and situations, and Cor-A-Vent will continue to come up with products and installation details that solve problems for builders and home owners.

Be on the lookout this year for more new products from us in 2008, the year of the Cor-A-Vent Revolution!