Major Components of a Roof
- Built-up Roof
- A low-slope or flat roof covered with alternating layers of roofing felt
and hot-mopped asphalt and topped off with a layer of gravel.
- Cornice
- The wood or metal finishing at ends or edges of building, including a fascia,
frieze, or rake.
- Counter Flashing
- The flashing that is embedded, or attached, and sealed at its top in a wall or other vertical structure
and is lapped down over base flashing.
- Courses
- Horizontal rows of shingles or tiles
- Drip Edge
- The strip of metal extending out beyond the eaves or rakes to prevent rainwater
from curling around the shingles back into the wooden portion of the house.
- Eaves
- The lower edge of a roof (often overhanging beyond the edge of the house).
- Eave, Ice, and Snow Guard
- A 3-foot wide rubber membrane adhered to the sheathing at the roof's edge that attempts to stop
migrating water from entering your home during severe ice dams.
- EPDM
- A synthetic rubber membrane (ethylene propylene diene monomer), used on low-slope and flat roofs.
- Felt
- The bituminous paper used by roofers, usually made of a combination of asphalt and either paper
or rags.
- Fascia
- A decorative board extending down from the roof edge either at the eave or at the rake.
- Flashing
- Sheet metal or other material used at various planes on a roof to prevent water leakage.
- Frieze Board
- A board at the top of the house's finished wall, forming a corner with the soffit.
- Laced Valley
- A laced valley, or woven valley, is a continuous run of shingles where two sloping roofs meet (see valley).
- Rafter
- Structural wood, usually slanted, to which sheathing is attached.
- Rake
- The slanting edge of a gable roof at the end wall of the house.
- Ridge
- The horizontal line at the top edge of two sloping roof planes.
- Sheathing
- Boards or sheet material that are nailed to the rafters to which shingles or other outside roofing
materials are secured.
- Shingle Flashing
- Flashing that is laid in strips under each shingle and bent up at the edge of a chimney or wall.
- Pitch (slope)
- The number of inches of vertical rise in a roof per 12-inches of horizontal distance.
- Soffit
- The area that encloses the underside of that portion of the roof that extends out beyond the
sidewalls of the house.
- Square
- One hundred square feet of roof or the amount of roofing material needed to cover 100 square feet
when properly applied.
- Underlayment
- The material (usually roofing felt) laid on top of sheathing before shingles are applied.
- Valley
- Where two sloping roof sections come together. Shingles in the valley are cut in a “V” direction exposing
the valley flashing fabric (see laced valley).
- Valley Flashing
- The metal or fabric in valleys, extending in under the shingles on both sides.
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