Roofing Vocabulary

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.

Valley Flashing: The metal or fabric in valleys, extending in under the shingles on both sides.

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 buildings 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: 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.

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.