When something goes wrong with your Los Angeles, CA home’s roof, the first instinct is to call in a professional. Well, at least it should be — roofing repairs or replacements, are better off left for the experts.
Before you can accurately understand a roof inspection report, roof assessment, or a roofing estimate, you should be familiar with roofing terminology. Understanding basic roofing terminology will help you better communicate your problems/needs with a professional and make better purchasing decisions.
So Top Roofing Inc. put together some commonly used terms that identify parts of a roof and types of roofing.
- Built-up Roof
- A low-slope (or flat-seeming) roof covered with alternating layers of roofing felt and hot-mapped asphalt and topped off with a layer of gravel.
- Cornice
- The portion of the roof projecting out from the sidewalls of the house.
- Counterflashing
- The flashing is embedded at its top in a wall or other vertical structure and lapped down over shingle flashing.
- Courses
- Horizontal rows of shingles, or tiles.
- Drip
- The strip of metal extending out beyond the eaves or rakes to prevent rainwater from rolling around the shingles back onto the wooden portion of the house.
- Eaves
- The lower edge of a roof, usually overhanging beyond the edge of the house.
- Fascia
- The trim board behind the gutter and eaves.
- Flashing
- Sheet metal or other material used at junctions of different planes on a roof to prevent leakage.
- Felt
- Tar paper used by the roofer, usually made of a combination of asphalt and either paper or rags.
- Frieze Board
- A board at the top of the house’s siding that forms a corner with the soffit.
- Gable
- The triangular upper part of a wall closing the end of a ridged roof
- Hip
- The external angle at the junction of two sides of a roof, whose supporting walls adjoin.
- Joist
- In a flat roof, a horizontal structural member over which sheathing is nailed.
- Rafter
- A structural member usually slanted to which sheathing is nailed.
- Rake
- The slanting edge of a gabled roof extending beyond the end wall of the house.
- Ridge
- The horizontal line at the top edge of two sloping roof planes.
- Sheathing
- The rigid material (often 1-inch by 6-inch or one inch by twelve-inch boards or sheets of plywood) that is nailed to the rafters, and to which shingles or other outside roofing materials are secured.
- Shingle Flashing
- Flashing that is laid in strips under each shingle and bent up the edge of a chimney or wall.
- Slope
- The number of inches of vertical rise in a roof per 12-inches of horizontal distance. Also referred to as pitch.
- Soffit
- Boards that enclose the underside portion of the roof, extending 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 the shingles are applied.
- Valley
- The less than 180-degree angle where two sloping roof sections come together.
- Valley Flashing
- The flashing in valleys, extending in under to shingles on both sides.
- Vents
- An outlet on the roof for air.
Now that you’re more familiar with the basics of roofing terminology — let’s start a conversation.
Summer is the best time for Los Angeles, CA homeowners to schedule roof repairs or roof replacements. Call us today to make sure your roof is in tip-top shape (877) 353-6688 or contact us here.