Roof Components

All Roof Components Entries

• Underlayment

  Shingles, tile and metal shed most of the water that hits a roof, but not all of it. Underlayment is the layer underneath that catches what gets past them, and it keeps the deck dry while the roof is being installed.

• Fascia

  Fascia is the board you see running along the edge of the roof, just below the shingles. It looks like trim, but it also holds up the gutters and protects the ends of the roof framing.

• Drip Edge

  Water running off a roof doesn't fall cleanly off the edge. Without drip edge, it can curl back under the roofing and soak into the fascia and the edge of the deck. Drip edge is a small component that prevents that.

• Soffit

  Look up under the edge of the roof and you're looking at the soffit. Besides closing off the overhang, vented soffit is usually where an attic breathes in.

• Ridge Vent

  Hot, moist air rises to the top of an attic. A ridge vent lets it out along the whole length of the roof peak, and it's nearly invisible once it's covered with cap shingles.

• Flashing

  Most roof leaks don't start in the middle of a slope. They start where the roof meets something else: a wall, a chimney, a pipe, a valley. Flashing is what keeps water out at those joints.