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Table of Contents
Roofing Glossary: Q to T
Q
R
Racking
- a method of asphalt shingle application, also referred to as the straight-up method, whereby shingle courses are applied vertically, up the roof rather than laterally or across and up.
Rafter
- one of a series of sloped structural members, that extend from the ridge or hip to the down slope perimeter or eave, designed to support the roof deck and its associated loads.
Rake
- The slope edge of a roof at the first or last rafter.
Rake trim
- A flashing designed to close the opening between the goof and endwall panels.
Re-covering
- The process of covering an existing roof system with a new roof.
Reglet
- a sheet metal receiver for the attachment of counterflashing. A reglet may be surface-mounted, inset into a raggle or embedded behind cladding.
Reinforced Membrane
- A roofing or waterproofing membrane reinforced with felts, mats, fabrics, or chopped fibers.
Remedial Roofing
- The repair of selected isolated portions of the roof system to return the roof to uniform condition. This normally involves the removal of wet materials along with correction of the original cause of the problem.
Re-roofing
- The removal of all roof system components down to the structural deck followed by installation of a completely new roofing system.
Retrofit
- the modification of an existing building or facility to include new systems or components.
Ridge
- highest point on the roof, represented by a horizontal line where two roof areas intersect, running the length of the area.
Ridge cap
- A transition of the roofing materials along the ridge of a roof. Sometimes called ridge roll or ridge flashing.
Ridging
- An upward, tenting displacement of a membrane, frequently over an insulation joint.
Rise
- The vertical distance from the eaves line to the ridge
Roll Roofing
- Coated felts, either smooth or mineral surfaced.
Roof Curb
- An accessory used to mount and level units (such as air conditioning and exhaust fans) on the sloped portion of the building roof.
Roof Jack
- An accessory used to cover pipes (such as vents or flues) that penetrate the roof panel.
Run
- horizontal dimension of a slope.
S
Saddle
- a small tapered/sloped roof area structure that helps to channel surface water to drains. Frequently located in a valley. A saddle is often constructed like a small hip roof or pyramid with a diamond-shaped base.
Scarf
- To scrap or abrade a surface to remove degraded or wet polyurethane foam.
Scupper
- Channel through parapet, designed for peripheral drainage of the roof, usually a safety overflow to limit accumulation of ponded rainwater caused by clogged drains.
Scrim
- A woven, open mesh reinforcing fabric made from continuous filament yarn. Used in the reinforcement of polymeric sheeting.
Sealant
- a material that has the adhesive and cohesive properties to form a seal;
- a mixture of polymers, fillers, and pigments used to fill and seal joints where moderate movements is expected; unlike caulking, it cures to a resilient solid.
Sealing Washer
- A metal-backed rubber washer assembled on a screw to prevent water from migrating through the screw hole.
Self-drilling Screw
- A fastener that drills and taps its own hole, used as a fastener for attaching panels to purlins and girts.
Self-tapping Screw
- A fastener that forms receiving threads when turned into a previously drilled hole. It is for attaching panels to purlins and girts and for connecting trim and flashing.
Selvage
- An edge or edging which differs from the main part of: (1) a fabric, or (2) granule surfaced roll roofing.
Shading
- slight differences in surfacing color, such as shingle granule coloring, that may occur as a result of manufacturing operations.
Shake
- Exterior grade boards used as a roof deck material.
Shark fin
- Curled felt projecting upward through the flood coat and aggregate of a BUR membrane.
Sheeting
- A form of plastic or rubber in which the thickness is very small in proportion to length and width and in which the polymer compound is present as a continuous phase throughout, with or without fabric.
Shingle
- a small unit of prepared roofing designed for installation with similar units in overlapping rows or courses on inclines normally exceeding 3:12 slope (14°);
- to cover with shingles;
- to apply any sheet material in succeeding overlapping rows like shingles.
Shingling
- the application of shingles;
- the procedure laying parallel felts so that one longitudinal edge of each felt overlaps and the other longitudinal edge underlaps an adjacent felt. Normally felts are shingled on a slope so that water flows over rather than against each lap.
Sidelap
- The continuous overlap of closures along the side of a panel.
Single Slope
- A sloping roof with one surface. The slope is from one wall to the opposite wall of rectangular building.
Siding
- the finish covering of an exterior wall of a frame building; the siding may be a cladding material such as wood, aluminum or vinyl
Single Ply
- a class of commercial roofing membranes. Flexible sheets of compounded synthetic materials that are manufactured in a factory to strict quality control requirements.
Skylight
- an opening in a roof that is glazed with a transparent or translucent material; used to admit diffused light to the space below.
Slab
- A semi-finished steel product, intermediate between ingot and plate, with the width at least twice the thickness.
Slope
- the angle of incline, usually expressed as a ratio of rise to run, or as an angle.
Smooth-surfaced roof
- A roof membrane without mineral aggregate surfacing.
Soffit
- the exposed undersurface of any exterior overhanging section of a roof eave.
Split
- a membrane tear resulting from tensile stresses.
Spudding
- to remove the roofing aggregate and most of the bituminous top coating by scraping and chipping.
Square
- a unit used in measuring roof area equivalent to 100 square feet (9.29 m2) of roof area.
Stack Vent
- A vertical outlet designed to relieve pressure exerted by water vapor between a membrane and the vapor retarder or deck.
Standing Seam Metal Roof
- in metal roofing, a type of seam between adjacent sheets of material made by turning up the edges of two adjacent metal panels and then folding or interlocking them in a variety of ways.
Stripping / Strip Flashing
- The technique of sealing a joint between metal and bituminous membrane with one or two plies of felt or fabric and hot- or cold-applied bitumen;
- The technique of taping joints between insulation boards or deck panels.
Substrate
- the surface upon which the roofing or waterproofing membrane is applied (e.g., in roofing, the structural deck or insulation).
Synthetic Slate
- Synthetic slate is a concrete mix that is lighter and smoother than real slate but that has some of the color and ageing properties that slate has. It is generally used for slate roof shingles, but can also be used for kitchen countertops.
T
Tab
- the exposed portion of strip shingles defined by cutouts.
Tapered edge strip
- A tapered insulation strip used to elevate the roofing at the perimeter and at penetrations of the roof.
Tar
- a brown or black bituminous material, liquid or semi-solid in consistency, in which the predominating constituents are bitumens obtained as condensates in the processing of coal, petroleum, oil-shale, wood, or other organic materials.
Tear Off
- the removal of all roof system components down to the structural deck, followed by installation of a completely new roof system.
Through-wall Flashing
- A water-resistant membrane or material assembly extending totally through a wall and its cavities, positioned to direct any water within the wall to the exterior.
Torchdown
- The cap sheet has a coating of modified asphalt that is heated with torch just prior to application.
Trim
- The light gauge metal used in the finish of a building, especially around openings and at intersections of surfaces. Often referred to as flashing.
