Roofing Terms

Roof Diagram

  • Rake Edge – The vertical edge of gable style roof planes.
  • Gable Roof – Traditional roof style; two peaked roof planes meeting at a ridge line of equal size.
  • Drip Edge – An installed lip that keeps shingles up off the deck at edges, and extends shingles out over eaves and gutters, and prevents.
  • Gable Roof – Traditional roof style; two peaked roof planes meeting at a ridge line of equal size.
  • Deck – The substrate over which roofing is applied. Usually plywood, wood boards, or planks.
  • Felt – Heavy construction paper coated or impregnated with tar.
  • Ridge – The horizontal line formed by the juncture of two sloping planes, especially the line formed by the surfaces at the top of a roof.
  • Ridge Vent – Hard plastic ridge vent material.
  • Valley – Area where two adjoining sloped roof planes intersect on a roof creating a “V” shaped depression.
  • Flashing – Materials used to waterproof a roof around any projections.
  • Hip – The down-slope ridges on hip roofs.
  • Under Eave Vent
  • Eave – The roof edge from the fascia to the structure’s outside wall. In general terms, the first three feet across a roof is termed the eave.
  • Waterprofing/Underlayment  – Asphalt based rolled materials designed to be installed under main roofing material to serve as added protection.

For a complete glossary of roofing terms, click here.