Glossary
Latest Glossary Articles
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A special self-adhering waterproofing shingle underlayment designed to protect against water infiltration due to ice dams or wind-driven rain.
Any device installed in a roof, gable or soffit for the purpose of ventilating the underside of the roof deck. Any outlet for air that protrudes through the roof deck such as a pipe or stack.
Any material used to prevent the passage of water vapor. Applied to insulation or other surfaces, it retards vapor travel to regions of low temperature where it may condense. A material is
...The process in which water vapor naturally travels from high-humidity conditions to low-humidity conditions; for example, from the living space into the attic.
The inherent property of warm air to rise, also known as thermal buoyancy.
A unit of roof measurement covering a 10 ft. by 10 ft. roof area, or 100 square feet of roof area.
The finished underside of the eaves.
The degree of roof incline expressed as the ratio of the rise, in inches, to the run, in feet.
A roof containing only one sloping plane. Has no hips, ridges, valleys or gables.
Exterior grade boards used as a roof deck material.
The horizontal line at the junction of the top edges of two sloping roof surfaces. The rafters of both slopes are nailed to a board at the ridge.
The inclined overhang of a gable roof.
One of a series of structural members of a roof, designed to support roof loads. The rafters of a flat roof are sometimes called roof joists.
Heat transferred from one body to another which are not in contact (i.e., from the sun to a roof).
Thermal resistance, a measure of a material's or a construction's ability to retard heat flow. R-Values in a series of materials can be added to determine a construction's total thermal
...The degree of roof incline expressed as the ratio of the rise, in feet, to the span, in feet.
The portion of the roof structure that extends beyond the exterior walls of a building.
The total unobstructed area through which air can enter or exhaust a non-powered vent; generally measured in square inches. All nonpowered vents have a Net Free Area rating.
A type of roof containing two sloping planes of different pitch on each of four sides. The lower plane has a much steeper pitch than the upper, often aproaching vertical. Contains no gables.
An untreated, unwoven fiberglass material inside ShingleVent II, Peak Performer II, and FilterVent ridge vents, as well as The Edge™ Vent intake vent that provides extra weather protection
...An inlet or opening installed low at the roof’s edge or in the soffit or undereave area for the purpose of ventilating the underside of the roof deck.
A collection of melted snow that refreezes, typically at the projecting eave of a sloping roof. The ice dam causes the water from melting snow to back up under roof shingles.
A type of roof containing sloping planes of the same pitch on each of four sides. Contains no gables.
The inclined external angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof planes. Runs from the ridge to the eaves.
A shallow channel or conduit of metal or wood set below and along the eaves of a house to catch and carry off rainwater from the roof.
A type of roof containing two sloping planes of different pitch on each side of the ridge. The lower plane has a steeper slope than the upper. Contains a gable at each end.
A type of roof containing sloping planes of the same pitch on each side of the ridge. Contains a gable at each end.
The upper portion of a sidewall that comes to a triangular point at the ridge of a sloping roof.
Pieces of metal or roll roofing used to prevent seepage of water into a building around any intersection or projection in a roof, such as vent pipes, chimneys, adjoining walls, dormers and
...The built-in wing or lip on a ridge vent that deflects wind up and over the vent creating the Bernoulli Effect that enhances airflow performance by pulling or lifting the air out of the attic. It
...An outlet or opening installed high on the roof near the ridge or in the gable for the purpose of ventiliating the underside of the roof deck.
A shingle-over, roof-top installed intake vent for roofs with or without overhangs.
The horizontal, lower edge of a sloped roof which typically overhangs the walls.
A corrosion-resistant, non-staining material used along the eaves and rakes to allow water run-off to drip clear of underlying construction.
A framed window unit projecting through the sloping plane of a roof.
The surface, installed over the supporting framing members, to which the roofing is applied.
Transfer of heat by air currents, i.e., gravity, hot air furnace.
Flow of heat directly through a solid material; responsible for most heat loss or gain in a residence.
The change of water from vapor to liquid when warm, moisture-laden air comes in contact with a cold surface.
The condition in which the roof temperature is equalized from top to bottom. An equalized roof temperature can help eliminate the conditions that can lead to the formation of ice
...Cubic feet of air moved per minute. All motorized vents have a CFM rating that defines the vent's capacity to move air. The higher the CFM number, the greater the vent's capacity.
A phenomenon whereby low pressure resulting from wind passing over a structure or object creates a pulling or lifting action.
Equal amounts of intake net free area ventilation low at the roof’s edge or in the soffit and exhaust net free area ventilation at or near the ridge.
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