Beam: A long piece of wood or steel that supports your roof that, when grouped, can form a truss.

Cornice: The overhanging part of the roof that sticks out past your walls.

Coverage: The degree of weather protection offered by a roofing material: single, double or triple coverage.

Decking/Sheathing: Normally plywood which provides a flat surface covering your home.

Dormer: A gabled extension protruding from a sloping roof to allow for a framed window.

Drainage: Shape, layout and slope of roof for the purpose of shedding snow and water.

Drip Edge: Weather-resistant metal or vinyl edge installed along eaves and rakes to facilitate shedding of water at the edges.

Eaves: Parts of a roof that project beyond or overhang the face of the wall at the lower edge of the roof.

Eaves Trough: They are also known as gutters. They provide a method by which water that drips off the roof is caught and carried down the down spouts to an appropriate area for it to wash away.

Exposure: Specifically, exposure to weather: the distance from the butt edge of one shingle to another.

Fascia: The vertical edge of the cornice.

Felt: A breather-type building paper of strong, tough base saturated with asphalt.

Flashing: Materials used to prevent leaking/seepage at certain vulnerable spots like valleys, end-walls and chimneys.

Gable: The end wall of a building which comes to a triangular point under a sloping roof; also, a type of roof.

Hip: An external angle formed by the meeting of two sloping ends of the roof, from the ridge to the eaves; also, a type of roof.

Rafters/Trusses: A framework of beams, usually grouped in a triangular nature, that support the roof.

Rake: The inclined edge of a pitched roof over an end wall.

Ridge: The apex of the angle formed by a roof, or the peak, where the common rafters meet.

Roof Covering: most common are asphalt shingles, wood shakes, metal, tile or slate.

Sofit: The horizontal bottom of the cornice.

Square: The amount of roofing material required to cover 100 square feet (10’x10′) of roof surface.

Underlayment: a layer of moisture protection between the decking and exterior roof covering. In northern climates an ice and water shield helps to minimize ice damage problems.

Valley: An internal angle or water runway formed by the intersection of two slopes in a roof.

Venting: Proper venting is necessary for maintaining air-flow and overall roof “health.”

Terminology used to describe roof types and components might be a foreign language for those who are not familiar with it. Whilst it is appreciated that certain words have other meanings we have listed below an explanation of words used when discussing the structure or type of a roof.

Cross Gable: Similar to gable roof (see below), but has two gable parts that cross in a “T” like.

Cross Hipped: Similar to hipped roof (see below) but this type has two parts that cross.

Flat: A flat roof.

Gable (see cross gable above):   A simple triangular shaped roof from the side with two rectangle sections opposing each other creating an upside down “V”. The two triangle portions are at 90 degrees to the ridge.

Gambrel:  This roof looks more traditionally barn or bell shaped than triangular when viewed from the side. It is like a flattened gable roof. Many farms have gambrel roofs.

Hipped (see cross hipped above):  A pyramid shaped roof where four triangle sections are sloped to meet in a single point.

Pavilion Hipped:  A simple triangular shaped roof from the side with two opposing isosceles trapezoids that meet at the hip of the roof thus creating two angled sloped triangles sections. This roof type is typically a low-pitched roof.

Mansard:  This roof type has a flat area at the top with four heavily sloped sides slanting out to meet and / or exceed the walls of the building.

Shed: A single sloped roof.

Saltbox: Similar to a gable roof, but the two sides of it are not symmetrical.