Should you replace whirlybird turbines with a ridge vent when you reroof?
Short answer. For most Georgia homes being reroofed, yes: a ridge vent gives steadier exhaust along the whole peak without moving parts, while whirlybirds act much like static vents on calm days and wear out, wobble and squeal over time. The switch is easy during a replacement, when the turbine holes are decked over and shingled and a ridge slot is cut.
What whirlybirds do well
- On windy days they spin and pull a strong draft out of the attic.
- They work on roofs with short or no usable ridge.
- They need no electricity.
Where they fall short
- Still, muggy days: Georgia summer afternoons can be calm. A turbine that is not spinning is basically a static vent.
- Wear: bearings dry out, heads wobble and squeal, and a seized head stops working.
- Leaks: a head knocked out of level or a rusted base can let in rain.
- Hail: the thin vanes dent easily, which helps document a storm but can unbalance the head.
- Looks: several turbines on a front slope are hard to miss.
Making the switch
- Calculate the exhaust needed and confirm the ridge is long enough.
- Remove the turbines and deck over the openings with new sheathing.
- Shingle over the patches as part of the new roof.
- Cut the ridge slot and install vent and caps.
- Confirm soffit intake is open and baffled.
When to keep turbines
On a hip roof with tiny ridges, turbines or box vents may remain the better exhaust. Use only one type on each attic.