Considering a roofing project and thinking about hiring a roofing company in Albany? You might want to brush up on your roofing terminology so you can keep up with the conversation!
The roofing lingo can go straight over anyone’s head unless they’ve actually taken time to educate themselves on this topic. As with every other profession that exists, roofing terminology is unique and must be learned to understand how the business works. Whether you’re a homeowner in search of a contractor for a roof repair project or just someone who is interested in the art of roofing, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will teach you some of the most basic roofing terminology that you might meet during your roofing ventures.
TOP ROOFING TERMINOLOGY
AGGREGATE: The aggregate on your roof is foundation of protection. It acts as the primary base for your roof and protects your house from harmful UV rays and provides insulation. An aggregate can be constructed with a variety of different materials but the purpose of it remains the same.
APRON FLASHING: Flashing is done on joints to prevent water from seeping through the roof structures. Apron flashing refers to the flashing that is present under a roof curvature in particular.
ASPHALT CEMENT: Also known as plastic or flashing cement, this type of cement is a blend of bitumen, fibers and mineral stabilizers.
BALLAST: Ballast is an umbrella term that is sometimes used for materials that cover the top or the membrane of your roof.
BASE FLASHING: Roofing membrane is constructed with base flashing material. It serves to prevent water from leaking into the several roof intersections.
BITUMEN: Bitumen is more commonly associated with road project to seal and suture road asphalt. In roofs built with asphalt materials, this petroleum distillate is also used.
BLIND NAILING: Since nails can suffer from easy corrosion, blind nailing is a technique to place nails where they are the least exposed to the environmental elements. It’s an excellent technique to improve the longevity of the nails and hence your roof.
BUILT-UP ROOF: In the US, sloped roofs are much more common than the flatter ones. A roof with a low or flat slope is referred to as a built-up roof made with multiple layers of asphalt and gravel.
CAP FLASHING: On top of the base flashing comes the cap flashing for an even more leak-proof quality of your roof.
CAP SHEET: On top of a built-up roof comes the cap sheet constructed with granules.
CHANNEL FLASHING: Channel flashing is one the more useful types of flashing with a built-in run-off channel for water. It is located in planes of intersection.
COMPOSITION SHINGLE: For steep-sloped roof, composite shingles are usually advised. These shingles are made with a mixture of asphalt and other roofing materials.
COUNTER FLASHING: This highly common type of flashing is placed on the very top of the house wall above the shingles and its flashing.
DAMP PROOFING: Sometimes roofers will pretreat your roofs to see how well your roof can resist water seepage. This is known as damp proofing.
DIMENSIONAL SHINGLE: Shingles that are textured in such a way so as to produce a 3D effect are called dimensional or laminated shingles. The latter is a misnomer because these shingles need not always be laminated shingles.
DORMER: Dormers are framed roof projections. An easy example of a dormer is your window.
Familiarizing yourself with roofing terminology can help you greatly when you’re undertaking a new roofing project. You should also feel free to talk to your roofing company about the process of roofing and how he plans to proceed!
Need help with a roofing project and looking for an Albany roofer? Contact Ultimate Roofing today!