Roof Terms

Are you needing roofing services but having a hard time understanding roof service lingo? The following are some basic roof terms any prospective client can benefit from learning:

  • Roof Repairing and Restoring: the process of repairing or fixing parts of a roof that have broken
    o Roof damage: can result from weather such as hail, rain, and wind
    o Re-roofing: the process of laying new roofing
  •  Roof Replacement: the process of installing an entirely new roof. This can be done for residential or commercial properties.
  • Residential Roofing: roofing designed specifically for homes
  • Commercial Roofing: roofing specifically for business and companies—due to the nature of commercial roofing, this is a larger project than home roofing
  •  Important parts of a roof that you need to know:
    o Cornice: wood or metal finishing on the roof
    o Counter flashing: flashings on the top of a vertical structure
    o Eaves: the edge of the roof that overhangs
    o Snow guard: this roof part is usually around three feet long; the purpose of snow guards is to attempt to keep water out of your home in order to prevent leaks and water damage
    o EPDM: rubber used on flatter or lightly sloping roofs
    o Rafter: structural and made of wood; sheathing is attached under
    o Sheathing: boards or sheet material nailed to the rafters; roofing materials are secured to sheathing
    o Pitch/slope: the number of vertical inches in regards to horizontal distance
    o Shingles: a type of roofing material that is most associated with typical home roofs
    o Sheet metal: a type of durable roofing material made from aluminum or steel that can be used instead of typical shingles. It is durable against weather and lasts for a longer time. It can be made to look like actual sheets of metal or like shingles.
    o Square: term for the amount needed to cover 100 square feet of roofing
    o Valley: the place where the two roof slopes come together to form a “v” shape

A lot goes into roofing. These are just some of the basic terms that might help you understand roof jargon a little more. If you would like more information on roofing, feel free to contact us. You can call us at (407)696-7663 or use the contact form on our website to get in touch with us. We hope to help you with your roofing needs!