Steep-Slope Roofing Terms

Asphalt materials – Asphalt materials manufactured for steep-slope roofing. They include rolls and shingles.

Battens – Strips of wood installed on a deck to which a roof covering, such as tile, can be attached.

Chicken ladder (crawling board) – A solid board with cleats that lies on the roof surface and is secured over the roof’s ridge.

Compact assembly – A roof system in which insulation is in contact with the roof deck, either on top or underneath.

Configurations – The shapes of steep-slope roofs.

Eave – The lower edge of a roof that extends out beyond the buildings exterior wall.

Gable-shaped roof – A roof with one ridge and gable ends. (Gables are the triangular portions of the endwall under the roof and above the eave line).

Gambrel roof – A roof on which each side has two distinct slopes.

Hip roof – a roof that slopes up from all four sides of a building. (A hip is the opposite of a valley – the inclined point where two slopes meet).

Horizontal - The back and forth distance from one point on a roof to another point.

Insulation – Material that helps keep heat in a building in cold weather. It also helps keep heat out of a building in hot weather.

Mansard roof – A roof that is extremely steep-sloped on all sides and low sloped on top.

Nailable – When parts of a roof system can be mechanically fastened to a deck.

Nonnailable – When parts of a roof system cannot be mechanically fastened to a deck.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) –the government agency responsible for making and enforcing employee safety laws.

Ratio – a relationship between two measurements.

Re-cover – Installing a new roof covering on top of an existing roof assembly.

Reroofing – Re-covering or replacing an existing roof system.

Ridge – The highest point on a roof.

Rise – The height of a roof from its lowest point to its highest point.

Roof Brackets – Support brackets that can be attached to a steep-slope roof deck.

Roof Deck – The bottom part of a roof assembly. A roof system is supported by a deck.

Run – The horizontal distance from the lowest point to the highest point on a roof.

Scaffold – A system that provides a level working platform. The primary type of scaffold used in roofing is a stationary scaffold with a platform built to roof level.

Self-adhering – A material that will adhere (stick) to a surface without additional adhesive. It comes with a protective paper that has to be removed.

Shed roof – A roof with only one sloped plane (no hips, ridges, or valleys).

Slope -The incline of a roof.

Space-board sheathing – A type of roof deck made of boards that are spaced 1 or more inches apart. Used on roofs that are covered with wood coverings or slate.

Steep-slope roof – A roof with a slope greater than 3-in-12. Substrate – The surface upon which a roof system is applied (e.g., a deck).

Synthetic materials – Man-made materials that look and feel like natural materials.

Tear-off – Removing a roof system.

Unit – A standard of measurement.

Vertical – Distance from one point on a roof to another point, either higher or lower. The up and down distance.