Learn roofing terms about your new roof or area of roof repair
To help you better understand the different portions of your roof as well as "learn roofing-speak", just refer to the below:
- Deck/sheathing: The surface, usually plywood or oriented strand board (OSB), to which roofing materials are applied.
- Dormer: A small structure projecting from a sloped
roof, usually with a window.
- Drip Edge:An L-shaped strip (usually metal) installed along roof edges to allow water run off to drip clear of the deck, eaves and siding.
- Eave:The horizontal lower edge of a sloped roof.
- Fascia:A flat board, band or face located at a cornice's outer edge.
- Felt/Underlayment:A sheet of asphalt-saturated material (often called tar paper) used as a secondary layer of protection for the roof deck.
- Fire Rating:System for classifying the fire resistances of various materials. Roofing materials are rated Class A, B or C, with Class A materials having the highest resistance to fire originating outside the structure.
- Flashing:Pieces of metal used to prevent the seepage
of water around any intersection or projection in a roof system, such
as vent pipes, chimneys, valleys and joints at vertical walls.
- Louvers:Slatted devices installed in a gable or soffit
(the underside of eaves) to ventilate the space below a roof deck and
equalize air temperature and moisture.
- Oriental Strand Board (OSB):Roof deck panels (4 by 8 feet) made of narrow bits of wood, installed lengthwise and crosswise in layers, and held together with a resin glue. OSB often is used as a substitute for plywood sheets.
- Penetrations:Vents, pipes, stacks, chimneys-anything that penetrates a roof deck.
- Rafters:The supporting framing to which a roof deck
is attached.
- Rake:The inclined edge of a roof over a wall.
- Ridge:The top edge of two intersecting sloping roof surfaces.
- Sheathing:The boards or sheet materials that are fastened to rafters to cover a house or building.
- Slope:Measured by rise in inches for each 12 inches
of horizontal run: A roof with a 4-in-12 slope rises 4 inches for every
foot of horizontal distance.
- Square:The common measurement for roof area. One square is 100 square feet (10 by 10 feet).
- Truss:Engineered components that supplement rafters in many newer homes and buildings. Trusses are designed for specific applications and cannot be cut or altered.
- Valley:The angle formed at the intersection of two
sloping roof surfaces.
- Vapor Retarder:A material designed to restrict the passage of water vapor through a roof system or wall.
We will be happy to come inspect your roof
We will actually climb up onto your roof in order to help you make the decision to either repair or replace your existing roof. Regardless of our findings and your decision, you want to deal with a company whose professional opinion is one you can trust and rely on. Should you decide that a new roof is in order, we will also be happy to discuss budget, seasonal considerations and even assist you with your homeowners association presentation if necessary.
