HY-GUARD EXCLUSION Roof Vent Covers: An Honest Review

One of the constant battles you fight as a homeowner is keeping nuisance wildlife out of your home. And one of the most popular wildlife entry points — the attic — can be particularly hard to defend.

There are many ways animals can get inside an attic, but roof vents are, by far, the most common. These vents usually aren’t robust enough on their own to keep animals from getting past them. That’s why it’s a good idea to install aftermarket roof vent covers as an extra layer of protection.

At HY-C, we manufacture an entire line of roof vent covers under our HY-GUARD EXCLUSION brand. And in this guide, we’re going to cover the entire collection.

We’ll go over what kind of roof vents these covers are for, what sizes they come in, what materials they’re made from (and how to choose one), and plenty more. By the time you’re finished here, you’ll be ready to decide whether or not roof vent covers are a good choice for your home.

Discover HY-GUARD EXCLUSION Roof Vent Covers

Roof Vent Types

Before diving into specific dimensions and specifications, it’s helpful to understand what type of roof vents these covers are designed for. There are six types of vents commonly used on roofs:

1. Ridge vents
2. Gable vents
3. Powered roof vents
4. Solar-powered roof vents
5. Turbine roof vents
6. Box (or static) roof vents

Ridge vents and gable vents are different from the other four in that they don’t protrude from the roof. A ridge vent runs along the peak of a roof while a gable vent is installed on the side of a home (just below the peak). HY-GUARD EXCLUSION roof vent covers aren’t made for these kinds of vents.

Instead, our roof vent covers are made for powered roof vents, solar-powered roof vents, turbine roof vents, and box vents. They’re essentially mesh cages designed to be installed over top of these protruding vents. As such, it’s important to find the right size.

HY-GUARD EXCLUSION Roof Vent Cover Sizes

Our roof vent covers are available in two different materials: galvanized steel and stainless steel. We’ll dive deeper into these materials in a bit, but it’s worth noting that each material comes in a few different size options.

The galvanized steel covers are available in 10 different sizes.

The stainless steel covers, on the other hand, are available in 7 different sizes (one of which — the 9" x 9" x 5¾” size — comes with a black powder coat):

The following table provides the dimensions for each type of roof vent guard material:

Dimensions (L x W x H)	Galvanized	Stainless
7" x 7" x 9"	✓	✓
9" x 9" x 5¾”	-	✓
11" x 11" x 13"	✓	✓
16" x 16" x 4¾”	✓	-
16" x 16" x 7"	✓	✓
18" x 18" x 7"	✓	-
25" x 25" x 6"	✓	✓
25" x 25" x 12"	✓	✓
30" x 30" x 12"	✓	✓
30" x 30" x 10½”	✓	-

Note that the length and width measurements in this table refer to the base of the covers as opposed to the top of the covers (most of the covers taper a bit, so the top dimensions are a bit smaller than the base dimensions).

HY-GUARD EXCLUSION Roof Vent Cover Mesh Sizes

Like chimney cap mesh, HY-GUARD EXCLUSION roof vent cover mesh is available in two different sizes: ⅝” mesh and ¼” mesh. Both sizes still provide plenty of net free area (NFA) to allow your vents to circulate properly.

So what’s the difference?

The ⅝” mesh will keep out typical nuisance wildlife like raccoons, squirrels, mice, bats, and birds. The ¼” mesh, on the other hand, is small enough even to exclude some relatively large insects like wasps, bees, stink bugs, and cicadas.

Note that the ¼” mesh is only available in 16” x 16” x 7”, 18” x 18 x 7, and 30” x 30” x 10½” dimensions in galvanized steel. No stainless steel styles are available with ¼” mesh.

HY-GUARD EXCLUSION Roof Vent Cover Materials

There’s a good reason why these covers are made from steel rather than plastic or aluminum: wildlife exclusion. Their primary purpose is to keep critters from tampering with your roof vents. But why are they made from two different types of steel, and which one should you choose?

The good news is that both are virtually critter-proof. They’ll stop raccoons, squirrels, bats, mice, and birds. Galvanized steel is the more economical option of the two. It costs less while still providing excellent protection.

The problem with galvanized steel, though, is that if it’s installed within 25 miles of a saltwater coast, it’s susceptible to eventual rust and deterioration. If you live near a large body of saltwater, you’ll need a stainless steel cover. They cost a bit more, but they’ll be able to withstand the elements.

HY-GUARD EXCLUSION Roof Vent Cover Cost

Let’s talk about price. Two factors determine how much a roof vent cover costs:

1. The size of the cover
2. The material the cover is made from

Obviously, a larger cover costs more than a smaller cover. Larger covers require more raw materials to fabricate, and their prices are higher as a result. Also, as we mentioned, stainless steel costs more than galvanized steel. 

With that in mind, here are the prices of HY-GUARD EXCLUSION roof vent covers based on their dimensions and materials:

Keep in mind that these are manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRPs), not professional installer’s prices.

HY-GUARD EXCLUSION Roof Vent Cover Installation

Besides the dangers inherent to working from heights, installing a roof vent cover is pretty easy. Most of the work comes down to finding the right size. To find out which size you need for your vents:

1. Measure the length and width of the vent (at its widest point)
2. Measure the height of the vent
3. Use the size charts in this guide to find a roof vent cover that will fit your vent(s)

The flange of each cover comes with ¼” pre-drilled holes. All you need to do is purchase a few fasteners and use a drill to attach the cover to your roof. Just be sure not to overtighten the fasteners.

Should You Get Roof Vent Covers?

This has been an in-depth look at HY-GUARD EXCLUSION’S lineup of galvanized and stainless steel roof vent covers. You may be wondering, though: “Should I add some of these to my house?”

The first question to answer is whether or not you have the correct type of roof vents to accommodate these covers. If your attic ventilation system only utilizes a ridge vent and gable vents, these covers aren’t for you.

The next thing to consider is cost. Not only will you have to pay for the covers themselves, but you’ll also need to hire a wildlife control operator to install them. The price will increase with each vent on your roof, so make sure the project is within your budget.

Finally, consider just how protected you want your home to be against nuisance wildlife. The truth is that homes can go for years without any wildlife problems. Critters are finicky and unpredictable, and installing an exclusion solution like this is a bit of an insurance policy against them.

Even still, if there are curious critters nearby, these covers can potentially save you thousands of dollars in repair costs and wildlife removal services. They’re another tool in the arsenal of fortifying your home against nuisance wildlife, and they can provide a priceless level of peace of mind.