Open Vs Closed Valley Roof

The metal is usually pre painted to best complement the shingles color blend.

Open vs closed valley roof.

On a closed valley roof the shingles extend to the valley area completely closing it off. I prefer open valleys to let the water run out on metal. This leaves a metal strip or line on the surface of the roof that serves as the valley line. And while some homeowners may prefer the aesthetics of a closed valley the heavier and thicker the shingle the less likely it is to lie flat across a joint.

Closed valleys may have a tendency if not constructed properly to channel water under the shingles laid over the bottom layer of shingles. However open valleys may be susceptible to water back up along the top of the cut off shingles in the valley if not properly trimmed potentially causing roof leaks. A closed valley is where the tiles or shingles are butted up against each other in the center of the valley. Closed valleys are very vulnerable to mechanical damage.

If you have a shingled roof as most torontonians with a sloped roof tend to have then you will have one of two kinds of valleys on your home. Open roof valley this is almost the same as the closed roof valley method except a pre bent metal valley lining is installed instead of a secondary roof underlayment. When compared to a closed valley and open valley adds an additional layer of lining. This allows water to fall from the higher slope to the lower slope and prevents it from going under the shingles to the roof deck.

With closed valleys the shingle life expectancy is shortened by water wearing away the valley shingles faster than those in the field. Meanwhile on an open valley roof the metal lining that prevents water from seeping into the underlayers is left exposed. The closed variation is a flashing that has been completely covered with shingles while in the open variation will have the flashing completely exposed to the elements. Repairs to closed valleys are a lot more involved than working on an open valley as is re roofing or making changes to a portion of your roof in the future.

Once the shingles are installed they don t run through the valley area.