1. Decking or sheathing: The structural material such as plywood, boards, planks or other structural sheathings over which roofing is installed.
2. Dormer: A small, raised roof area, usually with a vertical window that projects from a sloping roof and usually illuminates a bedroom.
3. Drip edge: A trim metal piece is installed at the roof's edge to keep shingles off the deck, extending them out over eaves and gutters.
4. Eave: The edge of a roof that overhangs the perimeter wall.
5. Fascia: The trim around the perimeter of a building, just under the roofing. Wood is most common in residential construction.
6. Flashing: Material installed around a roof penetration or along an edge to help keep moisture from entering the layers below.
7. Roof ridge vent: A gap in the wood deck at the highest point of the roof to allow air flow from the inside to the outside of the attic through a prefabricated air exhaust vent.
8. Roofing felt or underlayment: Typically made of asphalt-saturated paper or synthetic materials and installed on top of the roof deck to protect the structure beneath the roof system.
9. Soffit: The underside exposed area of a roof eave or overhang.
10. Starter strip: The first row of shingle roofing that is installed at the edge of the eave of the structure.
11. Valley: Where two downward-sloping roof sections join, creating a "V" shaped channel for diverting water.
12. Penetration: Any constructed item going through the roofing system that requires flashing.
Here are some common flat roofing (low slope) ad residential roofing (steep slope) terms that homeonwers, building owners and property managers should know
When you are trying to understand your roof maintenance needs and the solutions to your roof problems, it is helpful to have a base of roofing information to refer back to. Here at AskARoofer we have collated some common terms used in the steep- and low-slope roofing industry to help you learn!
To get a generalized understanding, check out these videos from John Kenney, one of AskARoofer’s resident experts and the president of Cotney Consulting Group.
In addition to these basics, we have collected some of the common terms that are used when talking about roofs. This is a great list to reference as you talk with roofing contractors when you have roof problems or need roof maintenance.
An opening that allows air, heat and water vapor to escape from the attic to help prevent damage to roofing materials.
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