Roofing, in plain English.
Shingles, flashing, leaks, hail and what a new roof really involves.
The lingo.
- Architectural shingle
- A laminated asphalt shingle with a layered, dimensional look and a 30-year to lifetime rating. The standard replacement shingle today; 3-tab shingles are the flat, cheaper alternative.
- Boot (pipe jack)
- The flashing collar around a plumbing vent pipe. Rubber boots crack after 10 to 15 years and are one of the most common sources of a small ceiling stain.
- Decking (sheathing)
- The plywood or OSB boards the roof is nailed to. Soft, delaminated or rotted decking must be replaced before new shingles go on; good estimates state a per-sheet price for it.
- Drip edge
- Metal edging along the eaves and rakes that guides water into the gutter and away from the fascia. Required by code in most places; missing drip edge is a common shortcut on cheap installs.
- Fascia
- The board along the roof edge that the gutters hang from. Rotted fascia is often found when gutters come off for a roof replacement.
- Flashing
- Metal pieces that bridge the joints where a roof meets a wall, chimney, skylight or pipe. Most leaks are flashing failures, not shingle failures.
- Hail damage
- Bruising or granule loss where hail hit a shingle, exposing the asphalt. An insurance adjuster counts hits in a 10 by 10 foot test square to decide whether a slope is replaced.
- Ice and water shield
- A self-adhering rubberized membrane applied at eaves, valleys and around penetrations where ice dams and wind-driven rain push water uphill. Code requires it in cold climates.
- Manufacturer warranty
- The shingle maker's coverage on the product, separate from the roofer's workmanship warranty. Enhanced manufacturer warranties usually require a credentialed installer and the maker's full system of components.
- Pitch
- How steep the roof is, written as rise over a 12 inch run. A 4/12 roof rises 4 inches for every foot; 8/12 and up is steep enough to need extra safety gear and usually costs more per square.
- Ridge vent
- A continuous vent along the peak that lets hot, moist attic air out. Works with soffit intake vents; an attic that cannot breathe cooks shingles from below and grows mold.
- Soffit
- The finished underside of the roof overhang. Vented soffit is where attic intake air comes in.
- Square
- The unit roofers price by: 100 square feet of roof surface. A 2,000 square foot roof is 20 squares. Estimates and material orders are written in squares, not in the square footage of the house.
- Starter strip
- A row of specially made shingles installed along the eaves and rakes under the first course, sealing the edge against wind lift.
- Tear-off
- Removing the old roofing down to the deck before installing new. Laying new shingles over old (an overlay) is cheaper but hides deck damage and usually voids the shingle warranty.
- Underlayment
- The water-resistant sheet installed over the roof deck under the shingles. Synthetic underlayment has largely replaced felt paper; it is the last defense if water gets under the shingles.
- Valley
- Where two roof slopes meet and channel water together. Valleys can be open (metal-lined) or closed (woven or cut shingles). They carry the most water and fail first if done poorly.
Guides.
- Before you call a roofer
What to look for from the ground, what a leak usually is, and what to expect from an inspection.
- Paying for the work: deposits, draws and financing
How much to pay up front, when progress payments are fair and what to watch in a financing offer.
- Hiring a Pro: five questions before you sign
License, insurance, references, a written scope, and who is actually showing up.
- What a written warranty should say
Workmanship, materials and the difference between them. What to ask for and how to make a claim.
- How to read a contractor's estimate
Compare scopes, not prices. What every line on a good estimate means and the questions to ask before you sign.
Reading list.
Articles from around the internet that our Pros trust. They open on the source's site.
- Cool roofs · U.S. Department of Energy
What a cool roof is, when it saves money and how it works with attic insulation and ventilation.
- Insulation · U.S. Department of Energy
Attic insulation levels by climate, which matters as much as the roof for comfort and ice dams.
- Using cool roofs to reduce heat islands · U.S. EPA
The types of cool roofing products and the benefits and costs of each.
From the Pros.
Written by the people who do this work every day, in your area.
The first posts from Roofing Pros are on their way.
Questions from homeowners.
Ask the Pros- What is Roof Maxx · A homeowner · waiting for a Pro