Common Roofing Terms

As with any specialty, roofing has its own language.  We’ve put together this brief dictionary to help you better understand the words we use and the work we do.  It’s also about empowering you to ask the questions that are most important to you to get your project done just right.  Whether you’re on the phone with one of us at RoofCrafters, or we have one of our Project Planners or craftsmen on site with you, please ask for clarification if we use a term that’s not familiar to you—or you need help finding a term to communicate what you want or need to have us looking at with you!

• Cricket - Peaked diverter by the chimney to deflect water
• Diverter - Used to direct water away from an area
• Dormer - A window projecting from a sloping roof
• Eaves - The overhang at the bottom of the roof
• Fascia - A board that generally runs behind the gutter
• Flashing - Metal used to seal around roofing penetrations
• Gable - The peaked end of the roof
• Gutter – Used at the roof’s edge to control drainage
• Hip – A triangular section of roof
• Metal Edging – A strip of metal used on the roof’s perimeter (beneath the roofing system)
• Pipe Jacks – Heating and plumbing flashings for penetrations
• Pitch or Slope – Describes how steep the roof is (1:12 has almost no slope/12:12 is a very steep slope)
• Ridge – The roof’s peak; the top of two slopes
• Roof Vent – A vent that allows heat and humidity to escape/exhaust from the attic
• Soffit Vent – The air intake for a roof; these vents are located in the soffits or overhangs
• Square – A roofing measure; one square of roof equals 100 square feet
• Stack – An exhaust flue pipe generally for stoves
• Starter – The first row of shingles installed around the roof’s perimeter
• Underlayment – The felt or base sheet between the roof and the roof deck; generally used as a moisture barrier
• Valley – Where two roof planes come together and provide a drainage channel down the roof

Learn More: How to Choose a Contractor