Understanding tradesperson terminology can be challenging at the best of times, but making sense of what your roofer is talking about when seeking to reroof your home can be daunting. What do you call all the parts of the roof? Read on to learn more about commonly used terms when describing your roof.
Glossary Of Common Roofing Terms
The roofing industry (like most others) uses specific terminology to describe its products, processes and services. Understanding key roofing terms will make receiving a quote for a new roof much more straightforward.
- Apron Flashing. A type of flashing usually found around a chimney. An Apron flashing is designed to move water away from the chimney or other roof protrusion and outwards to the rest of the roofing system.
- Asphalt Shingles. A popular roofing material in the United States that comes in a variety of colours. Asphalt shingles are traditionally made from a mixture of fibreglass, felt paper, asphalt, and ceramic granules. Asphalt shingles aren’t very common in NZ as they have a shorter lifespan than other roofing materials like Colorsteel roofing iron.
- Barge Board. Fascia boards are fitted at the ends of the roof where it meets the soffit or cladding below.
- Battens. Thin timber or metal horizontally set throughout the entire roof surface used for fixing your roofing materials. The amount of battens and spacing for each building will depend on the roofing materials being used.
- Bitumen. A black viscous mixture used to line some flat roof situations.
- Building Act 2004. New Zealand legislation governing all building work.
- Building Code. Additional regulations associated with the Building Act that set out mandatory standards and minimum performance requirements. All building work in New Zealand must comply with the Building Code.
- Building Consent. Official approval provided local authorities to undertake building work in accordance with approved plans and specifications.
- Colorsteel. A type of metal roofing commonly used in NZ. Colorsteel comes in a variety of colours and profiles. See here for more on the pros and cons of longrun colorsteel roofing.
- Eaves. The edges of the roof that extend out over the walls. Eaves are designed to create an overhang for water to be directed away from the building.
- Fascia. A board placed along the lower edge of the roof where the gutters are attached. Fascia is designed to help protect your roof from water damage and weathering, it is also commonly covered in Colorsteel to match the roof and guttering.
- Fasteners. These are just special roofing screws used to hold down your roofing materials. Experienced roofers will know which one is best to use for your roofing system.
- Flashing. A flat-surfaced material used to direct moisture away from any potential high leak areas or weak spots in the roofing system, such as along the ridge, at the barge boards, and around chimneys and vents. Flashing acts as a protective barrier where roofing materials are unable to reach it is usually a thin piece of galvanised steel.
- Flat Roof. Fairly self-explanatory, a flat roof has a flat surface covered in a waterproof membrane. These types of roofs are more commonly seen in commercial properties in NZ and require extra attention to waterproofing as water can pool on the roof.
- Gable Roof. A traditional styled roof shape very common here in NZ. Strictly speaking, Gable roofs are made of two roof sections that meet at a point and slope in opposite directions with a triangular vertical piece of wall between the two at the ends. However, there are a few more modern variations on this roof type.
- Galvanised. This refers to a manufacturing process where a thin layer of zinc in liquid form is used to coat an iron sheet where it hardens to protect the iron from corrosion.
- Gutters/Spouting. Gutters and spouting are located around the roof’s edges and are used to collect and contain water run off from the roof, directing it away from the home or into in-ground drainage systems. This prevents erosion and water getting into the building unexpectedly. See more on the importance of quality spouting here.
- Hip Roof. A hip roof is quite similar to a gable roof, but instead of terminating at the external wall edge, a hip roof has additional sloping planes at the ends.
- Lean-To Roof. These types of roofs tend to be used for carports and sheds in NZ as they are built against an existing wall or structure. They are a single-pitch roof.
- Mono-Pitch Roof. A single pitch roof with one plane sloping upwards (one high side and one low side)
- Pop Top. A roof where a second, smaller story protrudes from the main roof.
- Purlins. Usually made of timber, roof purlins are placed longitudinally and used to support, position, and fix your new roof.
- Rake. The ends of a gable roof where they extend out from the walls. Similar to eaves but at the ends of the gable.
- Rafter. Part of the roof’s structural make up rafters provide the angled upward support creating the pitch of the roof. Rafters could also be more simply explained as the tops of the trusses.
- Reroofing. The process of replacing an existing old roof with a new roof made of the same or different materials. Reroofing in NZ generally involves removing the old roof first however, occasionally, the new roof can overlay the old one. See here for everything you need to know about reroofing your house.
- Ridge. The ridge of a roof is where two sloping sections of the roof meet at the top. Traditionally there was only one ridge, but in more modern housing designs, there can be multiple ridges.
- Ridge Capping. A roof fitting used to cover the ridge where the roofing materials meet. This can also be considered ridge flashing, or in the case of a tile roof, it will be a specially made v-shaped or rounded tile.
- Slope/Pitch. This is the angle or slope of the roof surface. It is usually expressed in degrees and is calculated as the rise over the run. Steep slopes are often found in areas where snowfall is common, whereas low pitched roofs are common in warmer areas and in cheaper housing developments.
- Soffit. The soffit is the underside of the eaves, it is usually lined with a light fibre cement type material which provides protection against moisture etc.
- Tradesperson. A skilled worker who has some degree of formal training through an apprenticeship, training institute or on-the-job training.
- Trusses. A truss is the structural framework that supports the roof. Trusses are usually prefabricated off-site and include rafters at the top and joists at the bottom. The truss is designed to bear the load of the roof (hold the roof up).
- Underlay. A moisture-resistant type of building paper laid over the top of the rafters to provide a moisture-resistant condensation barrier. Underlay is required under the New Zealand building code regulations.
- Valley (Roof Valley). A v-shaped gully where two roof surfaces meet on the downward slope. Metal flashing is used in valleys to direct water flow to the gutters.
- Vents. Sometimes called a louvre, roof vents or ventilation help with airflow inside the roof cavity. Ventilation can be mechanical or static and can be added to various parts of the roof system. Vents work to moderate temperatures and prevent moisture build-up. See here for more information on the importance of good roof ventilation.
Looking for a Christchurch based Roofing Company? Whether you need a full roof replacement or to fix a leaking roof, Action Reroofing has experienced and qualified tradesmen who can help – don’t put it off any longer, give us a call today for a free quote and roofing assessment.
