Learn Roofing Lingo

ROOFING COMPONENTS & TERMS

• Asphalt Shingles – The most common residential roofing material, made of fiberglass and coated with asphalt and mineral granules.
• Architectural Shingles – Thicker, dimensional shingles that are more durable and better looking than 3-tab shingles.
• Base Flashing – The piece of flashing installed at the roof-to-wall joint to protect against water entry.
• Battens – Strips of wood or metal fastened to the roof deck that support tiles or other roofing materials.
• Boot (Pipe Boot) – A flexible, often rubber or lead flashing that fits around a vent pipe to seal the roof penetration.
• Chimney Cricket – A peaked structure installed behind a chimney to divert water around it.
• Counter Flashing – Installed over base flashing to create a waterproof barrier.
• Decking (Sheathing) – The flat surface (usually plywood or OSB) installed over the roof framing and beneath all materials.
• Drip Edge – Metal flashing installed at roof edges to guide water into the gutters.
• Eave – The lower edge of a roof that usually overhangs the wall.
• Fascia – The vertical edge of the roof where gutters are mounted.
• Felt Paper (Tar Paper) – Traditional underlayment, laid between the roof deck and shingles for moisture protection.
• Flashing – Thin metal (aluminum, steel, copper) used around edges and roof penetrations to direct water away.
• Gable – The triangular part of a wall that encloses the end of a pitched roof.
• Hip – The external angle formed where two roof slopes meet on a hip roof.
• Ice & Water Shield – A waterproof membrane used in vulnerable areas like valleys, eaves, and around penetrations.
• Nail Line (Nailing Zone) – The designated area on a shingle for placing nails to ensure proper wind resistance.
• OSB (Oriented Strand Board) – Common roof decking material made of compressed wood strands.
• Pitch – The steepness of the roof, typically expressed in rise over run (e.g., 6:12).
• Pipe Jack / Pipe Boot – A flashing unit used to waterproof vent pipes. “Jack” is common slang.
• Rake Edge – The angled edge of the roof, extending from the eave to the ridge on a gable end.
• Ridge Vent – A vent installed at the ridge to allow heat and moisture to escape the attic.
• Saddle – Another name for a cricket, especially when used behind small structures like skylights.
• Scupper – A roof drainage outlet in parapet or edge walls, common in flat commercial roofs.
• Soffit – The underside of the eaves, often vented to allow airflow into the attic.
• Square – In roofing, a square is a unit of measurement that equals 100 sq ft of roof surface – a 10ft by 10ft area
• Starter Course / Starter Strip – The first row of shingles installed, helping to seal and protect the eaves.
• Step Flashing – A type of flashing used where a vertical wall meets a sloped roof (often behind chimneys or sidewalls).
• Synthetic Underlayment – Modern underlayment that’s lighter, more durable, and more water-resistant than felt.
• TPO / EPDM / Modified Bitumen – Types of flat or low-slope commercial roofing membranes.
• Underlayment – A layer beneath the shingles (like felt or synthetic) that provides secondary moisture protection.
• Valley – The area where two roof slopes meet, directing rainwater into the gutter.
• Woven Valley – A way of overlapping shingles through the valley instead of cutting them.

ROOFER SLANG & JOBSITE LINGO