When you read a roofing estimate or talk with a contractor, you'll hear terms that aren't part of everyday conversation. Here are the ones that come up most, defined in plain English.
A
- Architectural Shingles
- Thicker, multi-layer asphalt shingles with a dimensional, shadowed look. Also called laminated or dimensional shingles, they're more wind-resistant and longer-lasting than flat three-tab shingles.
- Asphalt Shingles
- The most common residential roofing material, made from a fiberglass mat coated in asphalt and topped with ceramic-coated mineral granules.
C
- Counter Flashing
- Metal flashing embedded in or attached to a chimney or wall that overlaps the step or base flashing below, sealing the top edge of the transition.
- Cricket
- A small peaked structure built behind a chimney or other roof obstruction to divert water around it instead of letting it pool. Also called a saddle.
D
- Decking
- The flat structural panels, usually plywood or OSB, fastened to the rafters or trusses that the roofing materials are installed on. Also called sheathing.
- Dormer
- A structure that projects vertically from a sloped roof, usually containing a window, adding light and headroom to the space below.
- Drip Edge
- An L-shaped metal strip installed along roof edges that directs water into the gutter and away from the fascia and decking.
E
- Eave
- The lower edge of a roof that overhangs the exterior wall, where gutters are typically attached.
- Exposure
- The portion of each shingle that remains visible and exposed to weather after the next course is installed above it.
F
- Fascia
- The vertical board running along the roof edge at the eaves, to which gutters are usually fastened.
- Flashing
- Thin metal pieces installed at roof transitions, such as chimneys, walls, vents and valleys, to prevent water from getting in.
G
- Gable
- The triangular portion of an exterior wall formed where two roof slopes meet at a ridge.
- Granules
- The ceramic-coated mineral particles on asphalt shingles that protect the asphalt from UV rays and give the shingle its color. Heavy granule loss is a sign of aging or hail damage.
H
- Hip
- The external angle formed where two sloping roof planes meet, running from the ridge down to the eave corner.
I
- Ice and Water Shield
- A self-adhering waterproof membrane installed at eaves, valleys and around penetrations to protect against ice dams and wind-driven rain.
- Ice Dam
- A ridge of ice that forms at the eaves when heat from the attic melts snow that then refreezes at the colder roof edge, causing water to back up under shingles.
P
- Penetration
- Anything that passes through the roof surface, such as plumbing vents, exhaust fans, chimneys and skylights.
- Pipe Boot
- A flashing collar, often with a rubber seal, that fits around a plumbing vent pipe to keep water out. Cracked boots are a common source of leaks.
- Pitch
- The steepness of a roof, usually expressed as inches of rise per 12 inches of horizontal run, such as 6/12.
R
- Rafter
- One of the sloped structural framing members that support the roof deck.
- Rake
- The sloped edge of a roof at the gable end, running from the eave to the ridge.
- Ridge
- The highest horizontal line of a roof, where two sloping planes meet at the peak.
- Ridge Vent
- A continuous exhaust vent installed along the roof peak and covered with cap shingles, allowing hot, moist air to escape the attic.
S
- Soffit
- The underside of the roof overhang. Vented soffits provide the intake air for attic ventilation.
- Square
- A roofing unit of measure equal to 100 square feet of roof area. Estimates and material orders are often written in squares.
- Starter Strip
- The first row of roofing material installed along the eaves and rakes, with an adhesive strip that helps seal the first course of shingles against wind.
- Step Flashing
- Individual L-shaped pieces of flashing woven in with each course of shingles where a roof meets a sidewall.
T
- Tear-Off
- Removing the existing roofing materials down to the decking before installing a new roof.
U
- Underlayment
- A water-resistant layer, usually synthetic today, installed over the decking beneath the shingles as a secondary barrier.
V
- Valley
- The internal angle formed where two sloping roof planes meet, creating a channel that carries water down the roof.