A residential roofing system has multiple layers that work together to create a durable barrier that protects your home. At Twin Mar Roofing, we understand how important each part is to keep your home secure and free from leaks and water damage. We want to cover the different components that make up a roof as well as roofing terminology, so you can understand all that goes into a solid roofing system.
We’ll start with some common roof types, parts and terminology. These are different sections of a roof or other terms your roofer may mention.
Pitch
Gable Roof
Roof with only two sides that slope downward.
Hip Roof
Ridges
The top peaks where two roof slopes meet. Ridge caps are pre-bent shingles installed along ridges to help prevent leaks and give the roof a finished look.
Hips
The outward diagonal joints where two roof slopes meet. Hip caps serve the same purpose as ridge caps.
Rakes
The exposed portion of the sloped sides of a gable roof.
Drip Edge
Strip of metal that sticks out past rakes to keep rainwater from curling around the shingles and back onto the house.
Eaves
Edges of the roof that extend beyond the external walls.
Dormers
Windows that stick out vertically from a dormer roof to add space and light to a top floor or attic.
Flashings
Thin metal sheeting, such as aluminum, that diverts water away from areas like chimneys or vents.
Roof Decking
Wooden boards that make up the framing of the roof. All other parts of the roof are attached to the deck.
Now, we’ll discuss the layers that make up a roofing system.
1. Leak Barrier
A self-sticking membrane that helps protect against leaks caused by wind-driven rain and damaging ice dams. These are typically applied to eaves and rakes, in valleys, and around chimneys and skylights.
2. Roof Deck Protection
An underlayment that provides a secondary layer of wind-driven rain protection between your shingles and roof deck.
3. Starter Strips
These shingles are installed at the eaves and rakes to reduce the risk of shingle blow-offs. They have specially positioned sealant applied at the factory.
4. Shingles
Asphalt shingles are made from a sturdy fiberglass base and coated with asphalt and tiny mineral granules.
5. Accessories
There are several specialty roofing accessories designed to enhance the performance of the roofing system. Some examples include vent caps, chimney caps and flashing.
6. Attic Ventilation
This is important to reduce damaging heat and moisture in your attic. It also helps reduce the risk of ice dam formation in the winter. There are a few options including ridge vents and roof mount attic vents.
7. Ridge Cap Shingles
These shingles are installed on the hip and ridge areas of the roof to provide additional protection.
As you can see, a roofing system has many parts, each with an important function to protect your home. This is why it’s important to hire a knowledgeable roofing contractor who knows how all these components fit together to make the most functional and aesthetically pleasing roof.
If you need a roof for a new home or need to replace the roof on your current home, you can trust Twin Mar Roofing. We proudly serve central Pennsylvania. Give us a call at (717) 437-5758 or contact us for a free estimate for your roofing project.
