Popular Roofing Terminology

Asphalt: Bituminous waterproofing used in many roofing materials.
Asphalt plastic roofing cement: Asphalt ‑ based bonding cement for roofing components.
Base flashing: Flashing at deck level directing water onto the roof covering.
Blisters: Bubbles on asphalt roofing surfaces.
Built-up roof (BUR): Multi ‑ ply asphalt and felts for low ‑ slope roofs.
Butt edge: Lower edge of shingle tabs.
Caulk: Sealant used to close joints and prevent leaks.
Coating: Asphalt layer into which granules/surfacing are embedded.
Collar (vent sleeve): Flange around vent pipes to seal openings.
Counter flashing: Flashing attached to vertical surfaces to cover base flashing.
Course: A horizontal row of shingles/roll roofing.
Cricket: Saddle behind a chimney to divert water.
Cutout: Openings between 3 ‑ tab shingle tabs.
Deck/Sheathing: Boards or panels fastened to rafters; substrate for roofing.
Dormer: Window unit projecting through a roof plane.
Downspout (leader): Pipe that drains gutters.
Drip edge: Non ‑ staining metal edging that lets runoff clear the fascia.
Eaves: Lower horizontal edge of a sloped roof.
Eave flashing: Extra protection at eaves to prevent back ‑ up damage.
Edging strips/Feathering strips: Wood strips to provide level edges/surfaces when reroofing over wood shingles.
Felt: Asphalt ‑ saturated fibrous underlayment.
Fiberglass mat: Glass ‑ fiber base material for asphalt shingles.
Flashing: Metal or roll material preventing seepage at joints/penetrations.
Free-tab shingles: Shingles without factory self ‑ seal adhesive.
Gable/Gable roof: Triangular wall section; roof with two opposing slopes and end gables.
Gambrel roof: Two ‑ pitch roof on each side; steeper lower slope.
Granules: Ceramic ‑ coated crushed rock on asphalt roofing surfaces.
Gutter: Trough channeling water to downspouts.
Hip/Hip roof: External angle where two roof planes meet; four ‑ sided sloped roof.
Hip shingles: Shingles used to cover hips.
Ice dam: Refreeze at eaves pushing water under shingles (cold climates).
Interlocking shingles: Shingles that mechanically fasten to each other for wind resistance.
Laminated shingles: Multi‑layered “architectural” shingles with added thickness.
Lap/Lap cement: Overlap; asphalt cement for overlapping plies.
Mansard roof: Two‑pitch roof on all sides; very steep lower slope.
Masonry primer: Asphalt primer for masonry bonding.
Mineral-surfaced roofing: Asphalt products coated with granules.
Nesting: Reroofing method to butt new shingles against old tabs.
No-cutout shingles: Single solid tab shingles.
Open valley: Valley construction with exposed valley flashing.
Organic felt: Cellulose‑based asphalt roofing base.
Overhang: Roof portion beyond exterior walls.
Pitch/Slope: Roof incline ratio (rise to run).
Ply: Number of layers in roofing.
Rafter: Sloped framing member supporting deck.
Rake: Inclined edge of a sloped roof.
Ridge/Ridge cap: Horizontal peak; shingles covering the peak.
Rise/Run: Vertical distance from eave to ridge; horizontal distance eave‑to‑ridge.
Roll roofing: Asphalt roofing in rolls.
Roofing tape: Asphalt‑saturated tape for flashing/patching.
Saturant: Asphalt used to impregnate felts.
Self-sealing shingles/strips: Factory adhesive activated by sun/heat.
Shading: Normal slight color variation from manufacturing.
Shed roof: Single‑slope roof.
Smooth-surfaced roofing: Roll roofing surfaced with talc/mica.
Soffit: Finished underside of eaves.
Soil stack: Vent pipe penetrating the roof.
Span: Horizontal distance from eave to eave.
Square: 100 square feet of roofing area.
Starter strip: Eave course to seal spaces under first course.
Step flashing: Flashing at vertical wall intersections with step pattern.
Tab: Exposed portion of shingle defined by cutouts.
Top lap: Portion covered by the next course.
Underlayment: Protective sheet between deck and roof covering.
Valley: Internal angle where two roof planes meet.
Vapor retarder: Material that restricts water vapor passage.
Vent: Any outlet or device for ventilating the roof/attic.