As a homeowner, you’ve probably been confused with a lot of the terms your roofing contractor mentioned during your meeting. If you’re planning on getting a new roof installed, or even just get a few repairs, chances are that your roofing contractor has assessed your roof and told you about its condition. The head roofer has also gone through a few of the needed parts with you – he mentioned something about the eaves, ridge, and valley?
You don’t need to be a roofing expert to get through a roofing installation – that’s why you hired a roofing contractor in the first place. But, you do need to understand most of these terms if you want to actually understand what your roofer is talking about. Here are some common roofing terms.
Roof Ridge
The ridge of the roof is the peak of the structure. When you have a pitched or a gabled roof, the ridge is that part where the 2 adjacent slopes meet. Usually, the ridge is a horizontal line that is equivalent to the length of the roof. However, this can change depending on the style of your roofing. Other terms used to refer to the ridge is “peak.” Flat roofed houses do not have a ridge.
Ridge Vent
Another structure at the top of a pitched roof is a ridge vent. A ridge vent is a functioning vent that is installed at the peak of the roof. Since hot air goes up, it likely accumulates under the ridges of your property; thus, having a vent installed in this part of the home allows hot air to exit, creating a constant flow of cool and hot air. Ridge vents are an important component of a home ventilation system.
Flashing
Joint flashings are metallic covers that are put over vulnerable parts of the roof, such as joint openings, and chimney or skylight fixtures. The materials used for flashing is usually a steel or aluminum sheet.
Roof Hip
The hip of the roof is the area where two planes come together to create an intersecting portion. Usually, another ridge is formed that starts from the peak of the roof down to the edges, or the eaves of the roof plane.
Roof Deck
The main foundation upon which most of the exterior roofing materials are attached to is the roof deck. The roof deck is a structure made of a sheet of plywood or wood panels that are installed directly over the roof trusses or joints. After putting a waterproof underlay over the roof deck, other roofing materials, like shingles, shakes, or tiles, are nailed down onto the roof deck.
Roofing Underlayment
The main purpose of the roof underlayment is to provide a water-resistant layer of protection. It is a synthetic layer that is put directly over the roof deck but is under the shingles, tiles, shakes, or other exterior roofing material.
Roof Valley
When 2 slopes of a pitched roof come together and form a V-shaped angle, this area is known as the roof valley. Valleys provide a good angle at which water is able to flow away from the roof.
Roof Gable
The roof gable is also known as the rake of the roof. This structure is actually the triangular area that forms on the outer wall at the roof ridge or peak. This area is formed in between a roof slope and an eave.
Metal Drip Edge
A drip edge is installed at the eave of the roof. This metallic strip has an L shaped edge that points outwards, creating a current from which the water is directed to flow away from the roof and walls.
Eave
The eave of a roof is actually the roof edge that goes past the walls of the home. This area is also known as the overhang since it overhangs the walls of the property.
These parts form the different parts of a roof. While some terms may seem a bit confusing, when your roofer discusses these areas with you, it will also be a lot easier to understand and identify which parts they are referring to.
It can be difficult to learn all these unfamiliar terms all at once but the easiest way to let this information sink in is to head out and try to label these parts on your own roofing Sulphur Springs TX. When you do that, you’ll be a roofing expert in no time.
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