Aluminum gutter strap.
Top of Page
Headlap: The distance that the topmost ply of roofing felt or
shingle overlaps the undermost ply or course.
Heat Welding: Fusing the seams of separate sections of
roofing material together through the use of hot air or an open flame
and pressure. Also known as heat seaming.
Hem: The edge created by folding metal back on itself. Metal
is hemmed for safety and strength reasons.
Hip: The angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof
planes.
Hook Ladder: A ladder with a bracket at the top which hooks over the ridge of the roof, allowing the ladder to lay flat on the roofing material.
Hip Roof: A roof that rises by inclined planes on all sides
of a building. The line where two adjacent sloping sides of a roof meet
is called the Hip.
Porch with metal hip roof
Hypalon: The trademark name for Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene
(CSPE), which is a single-ply roofing material.
?
Top of Page
Ice Dam: Ice formed at the transition from a warm surface to
a cold surface, such as along the overhang of a house. The build-up of
ice is the result of ice or snow melting on the roof area over the
warmer, living area of a building and then refreezing when it runs down
and reaches the overhang.
Impact Resistance: A roof assembly?s ability to withstand the
impact from falling objects such as hail.
?
Intake Ventilation: The part of a ventilation system used to draw
fresh air in. Usually vents installed in the soffit or along the eaves of a
building.
Interlocking Shingles: Shingles that lock together to provide
wind resistance. See also T-Lock.
Top of Page
Joist: Any of the parallel horizontal beams set from wall to wall
to support the boards of a floor, ceiling or roof of a building.
Top of Page
Lap Cement: Asphalt-based roof cement used to adhere overlapping
plies of asphalt roll roofing.
Lap Seam: Where two material that overlap are sealed together
Lap Seam - 1/2 Round Gutter:
Lead: Metal used for flashing material.
Lead roofing
Lead flashing
Leader Head: A component used to direct water from a through-wall
scupper to a downspout. Also known as a Collector Head.
Leader Pipe: A conduit for carrying water from a gutter, scupper,
drop outlet or other drainage unit from roof to ground level. Also known as
Downspout.
Loose-Laid Roof Membranes: Roofing material attached only at the
perimeter and at penetrations and held in place by ballast, pavers, or other
materials.
?
Top of Page
Mansard: (1) A steep-sloped roof located at the perimeter of a
building and usually used for decorative purposes.
Mansard Roof: A steeper roof that terminates into a lower sloped
roof at its high point.
Membrane: The portion of the roofing system that serves as the
waterproofing material. Can be composed of one material or several materials
laminated together.
Metal Flashing: Roof components made from sheet metal that are
used to terminate the roofing membrane or material along roof edges. Metal
flashings are also used in the field of the roof around penetrations.
Mil: A unit of measure equal to 0.001 inches (1/1000 in.) used to
indicate the thickness of a roofing membrane.
Mineral-Surfaced Roofing: Roofing materials with a top surface
consisting of mineral granules.
Miter: The joint made by two diagonally cut pieces put together.
Copper box gutter miter joint
Mitre-Gutter:
Mitered Slate Hip:
Modified Bitumen: a bitumen modified by one or more polymers such
as Atactic Polypropylene (APP), styrene butadiene styrene (SBS).
Smooth surface modified bitumen roofing.
Moisture Relief Vent: A vent installed through the roofing
membrane to relieve moisture vapor pressure that has been trapped within the
roofing system.
Monolithic: Used to describe something without seams; formed from
a single material.
Top of Page
Nailer: A piece of lumber, preferably treated, that is secured to
the deck, walls, or to premanufactured curbs. Nailers are used to receive
fasteners for roof membranes. Generally, nailers are installed wherever it
is necessary to secure base flashings and edge metal.
Nesting: To overlay existing shingles with new shingles and butt
the top edge of the new shingle up against the bottom edge of the existing
shingles.
Net Free Vent Area: The area permitting unrestricted air flow.
Night Seal: To temporarily seal the edge of a roof membrane in
order to protect it from moisture entry. A.K.A. Night Tie-Off and Water
Cut-Off.
Ninety-Pound: Granule-surfaced or fiber glass or organic felt
roll roofing that has a mass of approximately 90 pounds per 100 square feet.
Top of Page
?
Open Valley: A valley where both sides of the roof are trimmed
back from the centerline to expose the valley flashing material .
Organic Felt: An asphalt roofing base material manufactured from
cellulose fibers.
Organic Shingle: An asphalt shingle reinforced with organic
material manufactured from cellulose fibers.
Oriel Window:An oriel window is a window which projects from the main line of an enclosing wall of a building, carried on brackets or corbels, or supported by cantilevered floor structure.
Oriel Bay Window:
A polygon shaped/3 sided oriel window.
OSB: Oriented Strand Board - Often used as roof sheathing in
place of plywood.
Top of Page
?
Peel and Stick roofing
Pitch Pocket:A flanged piece of flashing material placed around irregularly shaped roof penetrations on flat roofs.
Top of Page
R-Value: The measure of a material?s resistance to heat flow. The
higher a material?s R-value, the more it insulates.
Racking: The method of installing asphalt shingles where the
shingles are installed straight up to the ridge rather than horizontally.
Rafter: The structural member extending from the downslope
perimeter of a roof to the ridge or hip and is designed to support the roof
deck and roof system components.
Raggle: A groove that is cut into the side of a vertical surface
such as a wall or chimney that is used to insert a flashing element such as
a reglet or counterflashing.
Rake: The sloped perimeter edge of a roof that runs from the
eaves to the ridge. The rake is usually perpendicular to the eaves and
ridge.
Mahogany rake on Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian
Rake-Starter: A starter strip placed along rake edges for use in
asphalt shingle roofing.
Random slate roof:Slate roof installation with varying sizes or shapes of roofing slates
Reglet: A receiver, usually sheet metal, that counterflashings
are attached to. Reglets can be surface-mounted, set in a raggle, or
be part of the wall assembly.
Reinforced Membrane: A roofing membrane that has been
strengthened by adding polyester scrims or mats, glass fibers or other
material.
Re-roofing: The procedure of installing a new roof system.
Return ( eave )To turn away from or place at an angle to the previous line of direction.
Ridge: The line where two planes of roof intersect, forming the
highest point on the roof that runs the entire length of the roof.
Ridge Cap: Material applied over the ridge or hip of a roof.
Ridge Course: The final course of roofing applied that covers the
area where two or more roof planes intersect.
Ridge Vent: An exhaust venting device located at the ridge of a
roof that works in conjunction with a starter or under eave soffit vent and
is used to ventilate attics. Ridge vents and their cooperative starter or
soffit vents should be installed at a 1:1 ratio in order to function
properly.
Roof Assembly: A term used to describe all of the roof components
including structural roof deck.
Roof Bracket:A metal bracket fastened to the roof decking to hold roof scaffolding in place.
Roof Curb: A frame used to structurally mount rooftop equipment
such as HVAC units, exhaust fans, skylight, etc.; may be pre-constructed or
constructed on site.
Roof Curb- Skylight
Roofer: An individual who installs roof systems and materials.
Roof Jack: (1) A steel bracket fastened to the roof that is used
to support toe boards. (2) A term used to describe a Pipe Boot or Flashing
Collar.
also Roof Jack Vent: A roof vent used to ventilate a bathroom exhaust fan.
Roof Overhang: That portion of the roof that extends beyond the
exterior wall line of the building.
Roof Seamer: (1) A mechanical device used to crimp metal roof
panels and make the seams watertight. (2) A machine used to weld membrane
laps of PVC (Thermoplastic) roofing material
Roof Pitch: The angle made by the roof surface plane with the
horizontal plane and expressed as the amount of vertical rise for every
twelve inch (12") horizontal run. For instance, a roof that rises four
inches (4") for every twelve inch (12") horizontal run, is expressed as
having a "four in twelve" slope; often written as "4:12." Expressed as a
percentage, the slope would be 33%, which is equal to 4 divided by 12. Also
known as the Slope of a roof.
Rosin: Non-asphaltic material used as slip sheets and sheathing
paper in roof systems. Also referred to Rosin Paper and Rosin-Sized
Sheathing Paper.
Row Lock: A brick laid on its face with the end surface visible in the wall face. Frequently spelled rolock.
Run: The horizontal dimension of a slope.
Top of Page
Saddle: (1) A type of flashing usually used in conjunction with
step, counter, and apron flashings on steep slope roof systems. (2) A small,
somewhat pyramid-shaped figure constructed in between sump drains that is
used to direct run-off water toward the sump drains.
Saturated Felt: Felt that has been saturated with bitumen.
Scaffold:A temporary framework used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures. It is usually a modular system of metal pipes, although it can be made out of other materials. Bamboo is still used frequently in Asia.
Installing metal roof from ladder scaffold
Scupper: An opening in a parapet wall that allows water to run off an interior roof or surface.
Scupper Box:A component used to collect water running through a scupper and directing it into a conductor head or downspout.
Sealant: Generic term for a multitude of materials used to seal
joints or junctures against moisture or weather.
Self-Adhering Membrane: A type of membrane whose bottom surface
will stick or adhere to a substrate without the use of an additional
adhesive material.
Self-Sealing Shingle: Asphalt shingles with adhesive strips that
will soften and stick to the following course of shingles when heated by the
sun; used to help against wind uplift.
Selvage Edge: That portion of a granule-surfaced membrane that is
designed to be overlapped by the following membrane course; usually two,
four, or nineteen inches in width.
Shed Roof: A roof with only one sloping plane.
Side Lap: The longitudinal overlap of neighboring materials
Sill: The bottom framing member of a door or window opening.
Sill Flashing: Flashing material(s) used to waterproof the bottom
framing member of a door or window opening.
Single Coverage: One layer of roofing material.
Single-Lock Standing Seam: A standing seam system with one
overlapping interlock between two seam panels.
Single-Ply Membranes: Roofing membranes that are applied in one
layer. Thermoplastic and thermoset membranes are usually Single-Ply
Membranes. Single-Ply membranes come in five basic types: (1) Ballasted, (2)
Fully-Adhered, (3) Mechanically-Fastened, (4) Partially-Adhered, and (5)
Self-Adhered. Seams of Single-Ply Membranes can be heat welded, solvent
welded, and adhered using seam tape or other adhesives.
Single-Ply Roofing: Roofing systems where the principal component
consists of a single-ply membrane.
Skylight: A transparent or translucent item that is designed to
admit light and set over a curbed opening in the roof.
Slate: A fine-grained metamorphic rock that splits into thin,
smooth-surfaced layers used in steep slope roofing applications.
Slating Hook: A hook-shaped device used to secure roofing slate.
Slip Sheet: Sheeting material placed between roofing components
to prevent those components from adhering to one another or to prevent
material damage due to component incompatibility. Slip Sheets may be
polyethylene, rosin-sized sheathing paper, or other material.
Slope: The angle of incline of a roof expressed as a percent or
as a ratio of rise to run.
Snow Guard: Devices secured to the roof to prevent snow and ice
from sliding off of a roof.
Snow Load: A roof load resulting from snowfall. Snow load is a
major structural consideration when roofs are designed in areas that receive
heavy snow.
Soffit: The underside of a roof overhang.
Soffit Vent: An intake ventilation device located in the soffit.
An exhaust vent should be installed on or near the ridge of the roof to work
in conjunction with the soffit vent in order to properly ventilate the attic
space. The ratio of intake vent area to exhaust vent area should be 1:1.
Soil Stack/Pipe: A pipe that penetrates a roof and is used to
vent a building?s plumbing.
Solder: Any of various fusible alloys, usually tin and lead, used
to join metallic parts.
Solvent Weld: To weld materials using a liquid solvent.
Spall: A chip, fragment, or flake from concrete or masonry.
Spanish clay tile;Ludowici red tile.
Splash Guard: A fabricated metal pan or masonry block that is
placed below a leader pipe or downspout and is used to help protect the roof
membrane on a lower roof level or to prevent soil erosion when placed on the
ground.
Splice: To join by overlapping along ends.
Splice Plate: A metal plate placed beneath the joint between two
pieces of metal.
Sprayed Polyurethane Foam (SPF): A monolithic sprayed-on roofing
material with a high R-value; formed when isocyanate ("A" component) and
resin ("B" component) are mixed at a 1:1 ratio.
Square: (1) 100 square feet of roof area (9.29 m2) in the USA.
(2) 10 square meters (107.639 ft.2) of roof area using the metric system of
weights and measures.
Stack flashing:Pre formed roof flashing component for sealing plumbing vent pipe penetrations in roofing.
Stainless Steel: A highly corrosion resistant steel alloy
containing either chromium, nickel, or copper.
Stair Step: The diagonal method of laying shingles.
Standing Seam: A type of metal roof system where the longitudinal
seams on adjacent panels are turned up, overlapped and folded in various
ways in order to prevent moisture entry and interlock the panels.
Starter Course: The primary course of roofing materials. The
Starter course is installed along the downslope perimeter edge and usually
covered by the first course of roofing.
Starter Strip: Strips of shingles (usually 3-Tab shingles with
the tabs cut off) or roll roofing material that is laid along the eave line
of the roof prior to the application of the first course of shingles. The
starter strip is used to fill in the gaps created by shingle cutouts and
joints.
Steep-Slope Roof: A roof with a slope exceeding 3 in 12 (25%).
Deemed appropriate to receive water-shedding type roofing materials such as
asphalt shingles, wood shakes and shingles, concrete or clay tile, etc.
Steeple: A tall tower forming the superstructure of a building, such
as a church or temple, and usually surmounted by a spire.
Step Flashing:Separate pieces of metal flashing set into a masonry wall following the elevation of a sloped roof.
Storm collar / shield:A formed sheet metal covering installed on pre fabricated chimney flues that shields the flue roof flashing from excessive rain.
Straw Nail: Long-shanked nails used to fasten tile along hips and
ridges.
Strip Flashing: Pieces of membrane material that are used to
flash metal flashing flanges such as gravel stop.
Substrate: The surface that the roof is installed upon
Top of Page
Tab: The portion of an asphalt shingle that is outlined by the
cutouts.
Tar: A brown or black bituminous material, liquid or semi-solid
in consistency, in which the predominating constituents are bitumens
obtained as condensates in the processing of coal, petroleum, oil-shale,
wood, or other organic materials.
Tear-Off: To remove a roof system down to the structural
substrate.
Tear Resistance: A material?s ability to withstand tearing.
Termination: The sealed edges of a roof membrane.
Termination Bar: A bar, usually metal or vinyl, used to seal and
anchor the free edges of a roof membrane.
Terne: Sheet iron or steel plated with an alloy of three or four
parts of lead to one part of tin, used as a roofing material.
Terra Cotta: A semi-fired ceramic clay used in building
construction.
Thatch Roof: A roof covering made with straw, palms, reeds or
other natural growths that are bound together in order to shed water.
Thermal Stress: Stress to a roof system or component caused by
expansion and / or contraction from temperature change.
Thermoplastic: (1) adjective Becoming
soft when heated and hard when cooled. (2)noun A thermoplastic resin, such
as polystyrene or polyethylene.
Thermoset: A material that cannot be
reshaped or formed by heating. EPDM and Butyl are thermosets.
Through-Wall Flashing: A material that extends through a wall and
is used to direct water entering a wall cavity to the exterior of the
structure.
Tie-In: The joining of two different roof systems.
Tie-Off: A watertight seal used to terminate roof membranes at
system adjuncts, terminations, flashings, or substrates.
Tile: Flat Tile Flashing
Transverse Seam: The joint between the top of one metal roof
panel and the bottom of the next panel, which runs perpendicular to the roof
slope.
Transition;A meeting of two different roof slopes and roofing materials.
Tuck Pointing: To remove old and deteriorated mortar from between
masonry blocks and replace it with new mortar.
Top of Page
Ultraviolet Light (UV): A form of luminous energy occupying a
position in the spectrum of sunlight beyond the violet, and having
wavelengths that do not enter the visible spectrum. UV rays accelerate
deterioration of roof materials. Hence, the need for protective coatings.
Underlayment: A material installed over the roof deck prior to
the application of the primary roof covering. Usually consists of fifteen
(15#) or thirty (30#) pound organic felt but can also be self-adhering such
as an ice and water protection membrane.
Top of Page
Valley: The internal intersection of two sloping roof planes that
runs from the eaves to the ridge. This intersection collects the most water
run-off. See Open Valley, Closed-Cut Valley, and Woven Valley.
Valley Flashing:Copper valley flashing.
Valley Flashing: Copper valley flashing on slate roof.
Vapor Retarder: A material used to restrict the passage of water
vapor through a roof assembly.
Vent: An opening or device used to permit air or vapors to exit
an enclosed structure.
Turbine style roof ventilator
Round dormer style roof vent
Top of Page
Wash,Chimney:The top flat section, or crown, of a chimney.
Water Guard: A turned up edge on valley metal or continuous wall
flashing; used to prevent water migration under the roof system.
Weep Holes: Small holes used to permit moisture to drain that has
gathered inside a building component.
Wind Clip: A clip that slips over the ends of tile, slate and
other steep slope roofing materials in order to help prevent wind uplift
damage.
Wire Tie: A system for attaching heavy steep slope roofing
materials such as slate r tile by using wire fasteners in addition to or in
place of nails.
Woven Valley: A valley construction whereby the valley has a
woven look which is effected by overlapping alternate courses of shingles
from both sides of the valley.
Top of Page
Zinc:?? A bluish-white, lustrous metallic element that
is brittle at room temperature but malleable with heating. It is used to
form a wide variety of alloys including brass, bronze, various solders, and
nickel silver, in galvanizing iron and other metals, for electric fuses,
anodes, and meter cases, and in roofing, gutters, flashings, edge metals and
also for various household objects.