
Roofing Glossary
Roofing Glossary
Some Connecticut roofers prefer that their customers know as little as possible about their roofs. At Brown Roofing Company, Inc., we are very open about the products and processes we use to design and install the very best roof for your home. Here are some terms and phrases you may hear when we discuss your roof replacement or repair project.
- Asphalt shingle: A bituminous waterproofing agent applied to roofing materials during manufacturing.
- Built-up roof: A flat or low-sloped roof consisting of multiple layers of asphalt and ply sheets.
- Caulk: To fill a joint with mastic or asphalt cement to prevent leaks.
- Coating: A layer of viscous asphalt applied to the base material into which granules or other surfacing is embedded.
- Course: A row of shingles or roll roofing running the length of the roof.
- Cutout: The open portions of a strip shingle between the tabs.
- Deck: The surface installed over the supporting framing members to which a roofing material is applied.
- Dormer: A framed window unit projecting through the sloping plane of a roof.
- Downspout: A pipe for draining water from roof gutters; also called a leader.
- Drip edge: A non-corrosive, non-staining material used along the eaves and rakes to allow water run-off to drip clear of underlying construction.
- Eaves: The horizontal, lower edges of a sloped roof.
- Edging strips: Boards nailed along eaves and rakes after cutting back existing wood shingles to provide secure edges for re-roofing with asphalt shingles.
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- No-cutout shingles: Shingles consisting of a single, solid tab with no cutouts.
- Overhang: That portion of the roof structure that extends beyond the exterior walls of a building.
- Pitch: The degree of roof incline expressed as the ratio of the rise, in feet, to the span, in feet.
- Ply: The number of layers of roofing, i.e. one-ply, two-ply.
- Rafter: The supporting framing member immediately beneath the deck, sloping from the ridge to the wall plate.
- Rake: The inclined edge of a sloped roof over a wall.
- Ridge: The uppermost, horizontal external angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof planes.
- Ridge cap: Specially formed shingles used to cover the horizontal external angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof planes.
- Rise: The vertical distance from the eaves line to the ridge.
- Roll roofing: Asphalt roofing products manufactured in roll form.
- Run: The horizontal distance from the eaves to a point directly under the ridge. One half the span.
- Self-sealing shingles: Shingles containing factory-applied strips or spots of self-sealing adhesive.
- Self-sealing strip or spot: Factory-applied adhesive that bonds shingle courses together when exposed to the heat of the sun after application.
- Shading: Slight differences in shingle color that may occur as a result of normal manufacturing operations.
- Sheathing: Exterior grade boards used as a roof deck material.
- Shed roof: A roof containing only one sloping plane. Has no hips, ridges, valleys or gables.
- Slope: The degree of roof incline expressed as the ratio of the rise, in inches, to the run, in feet.
- Soffit: The finished underside of the eaves.
- Stack: A vent pipe that penetrates the roof.
- Span: The horizontal distance from eaves to eaves.
- Square: A unit of roof measure covering 100 square feet. A roof with a field area of 2,500 square feet would be called a 25-square roof.
- Starter strip: Asphalt roofing applied at the eaves that provide protection by filling in the spaces under the cutouts and joints of the first course of shingles.
- Tab: The exposed portion of strip shingles defined by cutouts.
- Underlayment: Asphalt saturated felt used beneath roofing to provide additional protection for the deck.
- Valley: The internal angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof planes.
- Vent: Any outlet for air that protrudes through the roof deck such as a pipe or stack. Any device installed on the roof, gable or soffit for the purpose of ventilating the underside of the roof deck.
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Make sure your home's roof is ready to protect you from the elements. Contact us for a free estimate today by calling (203) 442-9616 or completing our online quote request form.
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