Roofing Questions and Answers
The following information will help you determine your roofing repair and construction requirements, select and work effectively with a roofing contractor and provide definitions for common roofing terms. Please contact us if you have additonal questions.
Mangold Roofing
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Click on the letter below to go to definitions for terms starting with that letter.
Roofing Terms
Cricket – peaked diverter by the chimney to deflect
water
Diverter – Used to direct water
Dormer – A Window projecting from a sloping roof
Eves – The overhang at the bottom of the roof
Fascia – A board generally behind gutter
Flashing – Metal used to seal around penetrations
Gable – The rake end of the roof
Gutter – Used to control roof drainage
Hip – The vertical ridgeline
Nosing – Used on the perimeter at eaves & gable
ends
Pipe Jacks – Heating & plumbing flashings for penetrations
Pitch or Slope – Describes how steep the roof is
Ridge – The peak of the roof
Roof Vent – Allows humidity to escape attic
Square – 10’ by 10’ area is one square of
roof
Stack – Exhaust flue pipe generally for stoves
Underlayment – The felt or base sheet underneath
Valley – Where two roof planes come together
AGGREGATE -Crushed stone, slag or
water-worn gravel that comes in a wide range of sizes. Used to surface
built-up roofs.
ALLIGATORING -A characteristic of
asphalt which occurs during the aging process in which the loss Of volatile
oils and the oxidation brought about by solar radiation produces a pattern
of cracks which resemble an alligator hide, because of the limited tolerance
of asphalt to thermal expansion or contraction.
ASPHALT -Tar or similar bituminous
solid substance. A natural material, that can be mixed with rock for paving,
or applied as water proofing, to various papers, felts, and sealant products.
BALLEST -Weight used to protect single-ply
roofs or to prevent blow off of systems which are not adhered.
BACKNAILING -The practice of nailing
roofing felts to the deck under the overlap, in addition to hot mopping,
to prevent slippage of felts.
BARE SPOTS -Small areas on a roof
where the top membrane has become exposed to the elements.
BARREL ROOF - A roof design which
in cross section is arched.
BASE PLY - An asphalt-saturated and/or
coated felt installed as the first ply with 4 inch laps in a built-up
roof system under the following felts which can be installed in a shingle
like fashion.
BATTEN -Cedar or redwood board, 3/4"
thick, 2" wide, 4' long. Nailed to roof deck to hold certain kinds of
tile.
BID -Written offering, of price for
work to be performed. Not necessarily a contract, can be more like an
estimate, with only basics laid out.
BITUMEN -Natural substances such as
asphalt or maltha, which consist mainly of hydrocarbons.
BITUMINOUS -Consisting of or resembling
bitumen. Can be man made, such as those made from petroleum by-products.
BLISTER -An enclosed raised spot evident
on the surface of a roof. They are mainly caused by the expansion of trapped
air, water vapor, moisture or other gases. Blisters on a roof may involve
only the coating, one or more plies of felt or may involve the whole membrane
thickness.
BOND -A paid for premium through an
insurance company, that affords consumers some protection against work
performed. $5000 minimum in most areas. To secure larger jobs, contractors
will get larger bonds, over $1,000,000 not uncommon.
BOND BREAKER -A substance or a tape
applied between two adjoining materials to prevent adhesion between them.
BUILT-UP ROOF (BUR) -A roof consisting
minimally of a BUR (tar or asphalt) membrane but may also include insulation,
vapor retarders and other components.
BUILT-UP ROOF MEMBRANE (BURM) -A built-up
roof consisting of plies or layers of roofing felt bonded together on
site With bitumen; either tar or asphalt.
BUNDLE -A package of roofing shingles,
ie: a bundle of shakes, a bundle of composition shingles. Used as a unit
of measure. 3 bundles to a square, 5 bundles to a square.
BURNOUT -Used to describe the effect
the sun will have on exposed felt. Usually in relation to a hole in a
shake roof, ie: The sun caused a burnout between shakes and it leaked.
BURNTHROUGH TIME -A measurement, used
to describe the amount of time it might take burning embers to burn through
the exterior to the interior, i.e. a 1 hour burn time is equivalent to
a Class A fire rating.
BUTTERFLY ROOF -A roof assembly which pitches
sharply from either side toward the center.
CANOPY -An overhanging roof.
CANT STRIP -A beveled support used at the
intersection of the roof deck with vertical surfaces so that bends in the
roofing membrane to form base flashings can be made without breaking the felts.
CAP SHEETS -One to four plies of felt bonded
and top coated with bitumen that is laid over an existing roof as a treatment for
defective roofs.
CAULKING -Adhesive used to fill in
small areas against water. Ie: Around windows in a long bead so water
won't leak in. Sold in tubes, and applied by pressure. Normally by hand
with a 'caulking gun'.
CEMENT ROOFING -A general term for a variety of trowelable
mastics, asphalt or tar, which are used during roof construction and repair.
CHALK(ING) -The resulting dust which occurs
on a surface that is susceptible to Ultra Violet degradation.
CHECKING -A pattern of surface cracks
running in irregular lines. When found in the top pour Of an asphalt built-up
roof, is the preliminary stage of alligatoring.
CLEAT -A device made of formed sheet metal
which is mechanically attached onto which the fascia flange of a metal edge is
snapped, so as to protect against wind uplift.
COAL TAR PITCH (TAR) -A bituminous material
which is a by product from the coking of coal. It is used as the waterproofing
material for tar and gravel built-up roofing.
COLD APPLIED -Products that can be applied
without heating. These are in contrast to tar or asphalt which need to be heated
to be applied.
COLD PATCH -A roof repair done with cold
applied material.
COLLAR -A conical metal cap flashing used
in conjunction with vent pipes or stacks usually located several inches above
the plane of the roof, for the purpose of shedding water away from the base of
the vent.
CONDUCTOR -A pipe for conveying rain water
from the roof gutter to a drain, or from a roof drain to the storm drain; also
called a leader, downspout, or downpipe.
CONTRACT -The written form of an agreement,
enforceable by law, between two or more people for doing or not doing
specific things.
CONTRACTOR -A person who contracts
to provide products or services at a set price or rate.
CONTROL JOINT -A control joint controls
or accommodates movement in the surface component of a roof.
COPING -A construction unit placed at
the top of the parapet wall to serve as a cover for the wall.
CORNICE -A horizontal projecting course
on the exterior of a building, usually at the base of the parapet.
CRICKET -The evaluation of a part of a
roof surface as a means of promoting drainage of water from behind an
obstacle such as chimney.
CUPOLA -A small monitor or dome at the
peak of a pitched roof.
CURB -A short wall or masonry built above
the level of the roof. It provides a means of flashing the deck equipment.
CUTBACK -Basic asphalt or tar which has
been "cutback" with solvents and oils so that the material become fluid.
CUT OFF -A piece of roofing membrane
consisting of one or more narrow plies of felt usually moped in hot to seal
the edge of insulation at the end of a day's work.
DAMP PROOFING -A process used on concrete,
masonry or stone surfaces for the purpose of repelling water. Moisture vapor
readily penetrates coatings of this type. The main purpose of dampproofing
is to prevent the coated surface from absorbing rain water while allowing
is to breathe moisture vapor out of the structure.
DEAD LOAD -The constant designed weight
(of the roof) and any permanent fixtures attached above or below.
DECK -This is the actual surface on
which the roofing will be applied. Usually plywood (3/8" - 1") or 1"x4"
or larger boards.
DORMER -The house-like structure which
projects from a sloping roof.
DOWNSPOUT -The metal pipe used to drain
water from a roof.
DRIP EDGE - A device designed to prevent
water from running back or under an overhang.
DRIPAGE - Bitumen material that drips
through roof deck joints, or over the edge of a roof deck.
DRY LAP - A term describing the absence
of bitumen between the plies of felt at the overlap in a BURM.
DRY SHEET - A ply mechanically attached
to wood or gypsum decks to prevent asphalt or pitch from penetrating the
deck and leaking into the building below.
DUCT - A cylindrical or rectangular "tube"
used to move air either from exhaust or intake. The installation is referred
to as "duct work".
EAVE -This is the lower, overhanging
part of your roof. Typically down where the gutter is located is called
the eaveline.
EDGE METAL - A term relating to brake or
extruded metal around the perimeter of a roof.
EMULSION - In roofing, a coating consisting
of asphalt and fillers suspended in water.
END LAP - The amount or location of overlap
at the end of a roll of roofing felts in the application.
E.V.T.-EQUI-VISCOUS TEMPERATURE - The critical
temperature at which asphalt reaches the viscosity most favorable to good adhesion
when applied in a BUR.
EXPANSION COEFFICIENT - The amount that a
specific material will vary in any one dimension with a change of temperature.
EXPANSION JOINT - A device used to make up
the motion of expansion and contraction. On large roofs this provision for the
movement of the materials forming the walls, roof deck and roof covering is
usually made by deliberately separating the building into sections, and
covering separation between adjacent sections with the expansion joint to allow
movement but keep out the weather. Expansion joints, unlike control joints,
penetrate through the roof deck.
EXPOSURE -Used to describe the amount
of each row of roofing, not covered by the above row. Ie: If you look
at a shake, tile or composition roof you will see clearly defined rows.
Each shake is 24" tall, how much do you actually see? About 10" up and
down. That is the amount of exposure. It matters because each row laps
over the one below, to give good coverage and to allow it's nails to penetrate
the row below.
EXTRUSION - An item formed by forcing a
base metal (frequently aluminum) or plastic, at a malleable temperature,
through a die to achieve a desired shape.
EYEBROW - A flat, normally concrete,
projection which protrudes horizontally from a building wall; Eyebrows
are generally located above windows.
FACADE -The front of a building.
Frequently, in architectural terms an artificial or decorative effort.
FASCIA - Any cover board at the edge
or eaves of a flat, sloping, or overhanging roof which is placed in a
vertical position to protect the edge of the roof assembly
FASTENERS - A general term covering
a wide variety of screws and nails which may be used for mechanically
securing various components of a building.
FELT -Paper, matted together by pressure
and impregnated with asphalt to make waterproof.
FIFTEEN POUND -Felt commonly made
in 36" tall rolls and sold by weight. 15 pounds per 100 square feet of
coverage, with one roll covering 400 square feet.
FIRE RATING -Measurment used by independent
labs to determine resistance to fire.
FLASHING -Commonly any metal used
on a roof to cover pipes, walls, skylights, chimney, or valleys. Can be
waterproof paper used around windows.
FISHMOUTH - A characteristic opening
at the exposed lap edge of BUR felts due to loss of bond or wrinkling of
the felt.
FLAKE - A scale like particle. To lose
bond from a surface in small thin pieces. Sometimes a paint film "flakes".
FLASHING - Connecting devices that seal
membrane joints at expansion joints, walls, drains, gravel stops, and other
places where the membrane is interrupted or terminated.
FLASHING BASE - The upturned edge of
the watertight membrane formed at a roof termination point by the extension
of the felts vertically over the cant strip and up the wall for a varying
distance where they are secured with mechanical fasteners.
FLASHING COUNTER - The formed metal
secured to a wall, curb, or roof top unit to cover and protect the upper
edge of a base flashing and its associated fasteners.
FLASHING, STEP - Individual small
pieces of metal flashing material used to flash around chimneys, dormers,
and such projections along the slope of a roof. The individual pieces are
overlapped and stepped up the vertical surface.
FLASHIN, THRU-WALL - Flashing extended
completely through a masonry wall. Designed and applied in combination
with counterflashings, to prevent water which may enter the wall above
from proceeding downward in the wall or into the roof deck or roofing
system.
FLAT SEAM - A seam at the junction
of sheet metal roof components that has been bent at the plane of the roof.
FLOP - Cutting of felts into strips,
coating the deck side with bitumen and placing (flopping) the felt onto
the deck
GABLE - The end of a building as
distinguished from the front or rear side. The triangular end of and
exterior wall from the level of the eaves to the ridge of a double sloped
roof
GAMBREL ROOF - A type of roof which
has its slope broken by an obtuse angle, so that the lower slope is steeper
than the upper slope. A double sloped roof having two pitches.
GLAZE COAT - A light, uniform mopping
of bitumen on exposed felts to protect them from the weather, pending
completion of the job.
GLAZE COAT - A light, uniform mopping
of bitumen on exposed felts to protect them from the weather, pending
completion of the job.
GRANULES - The mineral particles
of a graded size which are embedded in the asphalt coating of shingles
and roofing.
GRAVEL - Loose fragments of rock
used for surfacing built-up roofs, in sizes varying from 1/8" to 1 3/4".
GROUT OR GROUTING - A cement mortar
mixture commonly used to fill joints and cavities of masonry. On roof
decks, the joints between many types of precast roof deck slabs are
grouted with cement grout.
GUTTER - Metal trough at the eaves
of a roof to carry rain water from the roof to the downspout.
GUTTER STRAP - Metal bands used
to support the gutter
GYPSUM - A hydrated sulfate of calcium
occurring naturally in sedimentary rock. In roofing, a type of lightweight
deck made from this pulverized rock.
HANDYMAN -Jack of all trades. That
is an old expression but applies here. Typically someone with knowledge
of various trades, but not specalizing in any one. Handling smaller jobs
such as normal upkeep.
HEADLAP -The amount of lap given to
a material at the top of the application. Such as rolling out some felt
and overlapping onto the one below a number of inches.
HIP -The angled line formed at the
juncture of two sloped sides, ie: A pryamid would have four hips. Where
each of two sides would meet.
HIP AND RIDGE -This describes the
material used to cover the hip or ridge areas. Know also as trim pieces.
INSIDE DRAIN -A roof drain positioned
on a roof at some location other than the perimeter. It drains surface
water inside the building through closed pipes to a drainage system.
INSURANCE -Commonly called public
liability insurance. A special policy that protects the overall public
from roofing disaster. Such as a building catching on fire, kettle full
of hot tar blowing up, passers-by getting hit with rock, etc.. Protects
the owner from lawsuit.
INTERPLY - Between two layers of
roofing felts that have been laminated together.
IRMA - Insulated (or Inverted)
Roof Membrane Assembly. In this system the roof membrane
is laid directly on the roof deck, covered with extruded foam insulation
and ballasted with stone, minimum of 1000 lbs. per square.
JOIST -A horizontally placed timber or beam set on edge to give support to a floor or ceiling.
KETTLE -Equipment used for heating
bitumen to a flowing consistency.
KICK HOLE -A defect frequently found
in perimeter flashings arising from being stepped on or kicked. A small
fracture of the base flashing in the area of the cant.
KRAFT -A heavy water resistant paper.
LAP -The amount of the preceding material
being covered.
LIEN -The right by a worker or supplier
to hold or sell your property if not paid by the contractor for their
work or products. You must obtain releases that are originals and not
copies, to assure all bills paid before final job payment.
LOOSE LAID -A membrane "laid loosely", i.e., not
adhered, over a roof deck or BURM.
MANSARD ROOF - A roof which rises by
inclined planes from all four sides of a building. The sloping roofs
on all four sides have two pitches, the lower pitch usually very
steep and the upper pitch less steep.
MASTIC -Asphalt based sealant. Troweled,
or applied by hand using rubber gloves. Other trades have other types
of mastic products.
MEMBRANE -A generic term relating
to a variety of sheet goods used for certain built-up roofing repairs
and application. Also used to describe the combination of felts and
moppings of bitumen forming a single flexible unit and waterproofing
system of a BUR.
METAL EDGE - Brake metal or metal
extrusions which are secured at the perimeter of BURM to form a
weathertight seal.
MINERAL SPIRITS - A by-product of
petroleum, clear in color, a solvent for asphaltic coatings.
MINERAL SURFACED - A heavy roofing
felt that has very small granules embedded across its surface.
MODIFIED-BITUMEN - Bitumen modified
by special processing, generally with the addition of SBS type rubber
or atactic polypylenes (APP). Some are non-reinforced, while others are
reinforced with polyester, polyvinyl acetate, fiberglass, polypropylene
or aluminum foil.
MONITOR - A large structure rising
above the surrounding roof planes, designed to give light and/or
ventilation to the building interior.
MOPPING - A layer of hot bitumen
mopped between plies of roofing felt.
MOPPING, FULL - The application
of bitumen by mopping in such a manner that the surface being mopped
is entirely coated with a reasonably uniform coating.
MOPPING, SPOT - The procedure
of applying hot bitumen in a random fashion of small daubs, as
compared to full mopping.
MOPPING, SPRINKLE - A special
application of installing insulation to the decks. It is done by
dipping a roof mop into hot bitumen and sprinkling the material
onto the deck.
MOPPING, STRIP - The application
of bitumen in parallel bands.
MUD CRACKS - Cracks developing
from the normal shrinkage of an emulsion coating when applied too
heavily.
NAILER -A piece of lumber
secured to non-nailable decks and walls by bolts or other means,
which provides a suitable backing onto which roof components may
be mechanically fastened.
NINETY POUND -Saturated felt matting
with asphalt based coating and embedded with color chips. By weight 90
lbs. per 100 square feet. 100 square feet per roll. This is a waterproof
product by itself.
NOSING -Metal edgeing of various widths
but normally 10' long. Used along the eaves and up the rakes to cover
plywood, other layers of roofing, or just to give a nice clean look, especially
when painted. Nailed to deck, or on top of new roofing in high wind areas.
OIL CANNING -The term describing
distortion of thin-gauge metal panels which are fastened in a manner
restricting normal thermal movement.
OPEN BEAM CEILING -When timber supports
are visable inside and the ceiling is also the outside roofing deck. Common
to have 2x6, 2x4 tongue and groove boards as this dual use material.
OSB -Oriented Strand Board. An alternative
to plywood, made from wood chips oriented and gluded in layers, to provide
a strong deck surface. Sold in 4x8 foot sheets, in various thicknesses.
OVERHANG -That part of the roof
structure which extends horizontally beyond the vertical plane of the
exterior walls of a building.
OVERHEAD, CONTRACT -The cost of doing
business. The amount of rent, insurances, bonds, payroll, Payments, licenses,
tool repair cost, tires, gas, oil, etc.. Really any thing that must be met
before a profit is shown. The more there is the more you have to make,
sometimes having higher rates as a result.
OXIDISE -To combine with oxygen in the air.
PATCH -Temporary fix for a water leak.
PALLET -Tile and other materials when
purchased in quantity, will come on a prebuilt wooden structure. This
is a pallet and the place where a forklift would put the forks to lift
the entire amount.
PARAPET WALL -A low wall around the
perimeter of a roof deck.
PENNY -Unit of measure in describing
length of nails.
PERLITE -An aggregate formed by heating
and expanding siliceous volcanic glass.
PHASE CONSTRUCTION -In roofing the
practice of applying the felt plies of the built-up roofing membrane in
two or more operations, separated by a delay of at least one day.
PITCH -A term frequently used to
designate coal tar pitch.
PITCH PAN OR POCKET -A bottomless
metal box placed on the BURM around irregular projections. These are
subsequently filled with coal tar pitch or mastic to effect a weather
tight seal.
PLY -Refers to layers of roofing applied.
Such as 4 ply, that would be four complete layers of roofing one on top
of the other.
POINTING -The process where joints between
masonry units, brick, etc., are filled with mortar.
PONDING -A condition where water stands
on a roof for prolonged periods due to poor drainage and/or deflection
of the deck.
POP RIVETS -Fasteners used to join
pieces of metal that are installed by either compressed air assisted or
hand operated guns. Unique in that they are installed from one side of
the work.
POUR COAT -The top coating of bitumen
on a built-up roof.
PROJECTION -Any object or equipment
which pierces the roof membrane.
PROTECTION BOARD -Heavy asphalt
impregnated boards which are laid over bituminous coatings to protect
against mechanical injury.
PRORATED -In reference to warranties,
this means the amount of rebate if any, would be less the older the roof
is.
PURLINS -A horizontal structural
member spanning between beams or trusses to support a roof deck.
RAGGLE ROCK - A specially
designed masonry block having a slot or opening into which the
top edge of the roof flashing is inserted and anchored.
RAFTERS -The supports that
hold up the roof and where the deck material would be nailed.
RAKE -The sloped ends of framed gable
sides.
RECOURSE -The actions that you can
take to recieve refund, judgement or penalty from someone for unlawful
actions.
REGLET - A horizontal slot, formed
or cut in a parapet or other masonry wall, into which the top edge of
counterflashing can be inserted and anchored.
RE-IMPREGNATE -To replace oils and
bitumen in the components of the BURM which through weathering and
oxidation, have been lost.
RESHEETING -Commonly means covering
existing roof deck with a new layer of plywood.
RESUPPORT -Installing support for
a heavy roofing material such as tile.
RIDGE -The horizontal line where the
tops of roofing rafters meet. Also used to represent the material used
to cover this area.
ROOF -The assembly of interacting
components designed to weatherproof and normally to insulate a buildings
surface, separated from adjacent assemblies by walls or changes in
elevation.
ROOF COATING - A bituminous material,
either a cutback or an emulsion, to protect the surface of the BURM but
not necessarily to re-impregnate it.
ROOF DECK - That component in building
construction, which forms a platform on which the remainder of the BURM
components are placed.
ROOF DRAIN - The termination or fitting
at the roof of an interior drain or leader, for draining rain water from
nominally flat roofs.
ROOF SYSTEM - General term referring to
the waterproof covering, roof insulation, vapor barrier, if used and roof
deck as an entity.
RUN -The horizontal distance between
the eaves and the ridge of the roof, being half the span for a symmetrical
gable roof.
SADDLE - A ridge in the roof deck,
whose top divides two sloping parts of the roof so that water will be
diverted to the roof drains.
SCRIM - A woven or mat-type fabric
that is used as a membrane sandwich between other material to provide
reinforcement and stretch resistance.
SCUPPER -An outlet in the wall of
a building or a parapet wall for drainage of water from a flat roof.
SELF-HEALING -A term used in reference
to a material which melts with the heat from the sun's rays, and seals over
cracks that were earlier formed from other causes.
SELF-LEVELING -A viscous material that
is applied by pouring. In its uncured state, it spreads out evenly.
SELVAGE -The unsurfaced strip along
a sheet of roll roofing which forms the under portion at the lap in the
application of the roof covering
SEVENTY TWO POUND -A roll material
used for the top layer of a hot tar roof. Weight of 72 lbs. per 100 square
feet. Not waterproof by itself.
SHEAR -Measurement used to determine
the horizontal strength of an embedded object. Ie: How much force or weight
does it take to pull a nail out of wood.
SHEATHING -The boards of sheet type
material, plywood or asphalt saturated sheets, nailed to studding or
roofing rafters as the base for application of the roof covering.
SHED ROOF -A roof having only one slope
or pitch, with only one set of rafters which fall from a higher to a lower
wall.
SHEETING -The actual deck material,
like 1x4's, or plywood.
SHINGLE-FASHION -The pattern formed
by laying parallel felt rolls with lapped joints so that one longitudinal
edge overlaps the longitudinal edge on the adjacent felts. Shingle fashion
application begin at the low point on a roof so that one ply drains water
to a lower one and so on to a drain or to the roof edge.
SHINGLES -Small units of material which
are laid in a series of overlapping rows as a roof covering on pitched roofs.
SIGN ANCHOR -A component usually formed
with steel angles which penetrates the BUR and is fastened to the deck.
SINGLE PLY -A descriptive term signifying
a roof membrane composed of only one layer of material such as EPDM, Hypalon
or PVC.
SKIP SHEETING -Decking, using 1x4
boards with one installed, skip one, install the next etc.. Allows wood
roofing to have air circulation.
SKY DOME -A type of skylite exhibiting
a characteristic translucent plastic domed top.
SKYLIGHT -A structure on a roof that
is designed to admit light and is somewhat above the plane of the roof
surface. BR>
SLATE -A dark gray stratified stone
cut relatively thin and installed on pitched roofs in a shingle like fashion.
SLIPPAGE -It is the sliding, lateral
movement between adjacent to plies of felt along the plane of the bitumen
film separating them, which results in a randomly wrinkled appearance.
SLOPE -Incline or pitch of roof surface.
SOFFIT -The underside of a part or member
of a building extending out from the plane of the building walls.
SPECS OR SPECIFICATION -Short for specifications. All
the information about a material and any requirements for installation.
SPLITTING -The formation of long cracks
completely through a roof membrane. Splits are frequently associated with
lack of allowance for expansion stresses. They can also be a result of deck
deflection or change in deck direction.
SPUD -The removal of gravel or heavy
accumulations of bitumen from roof membranes by means of chipping or scraping.
SQUARES -A square is 100 square feet
in roofing area. A roof of 1500 square feet would be 15 squares.
STACK -A vertical pipe projecting through
a BUR that carries off smoke or gases.
STANDING SEAM -A type of joint often used
on metal roofs.
STEPSHINGLE -In the construction of the
BUR the narrow strips of roofing felts, cut from standard width rolls,
that are applied at the beginning point so as to assure uniform configuration
of the specified number of plies.
STANDING LOAD -In roofing, the total amount
of permanent non moving weight that is applied to given surface areas
STRONGBACK -A support used in attics
to distribute weight.
SUMMER/WINTER GRADE MASTIC-Type of
mastic that can be used in cold weather is called Winter Grade. It is
formulated to be thinner in consistency to allow it to be worked when
cold. Summer Grade the opposite, to be used when weather is hot. Stiffer
and will not run in summer temps.
SUMPA reservoir sometimes forming
part of a roof drain. A depression in the roof deck of a building at a
roof and delivery it to the drain.
TEAR OFF -A term used to describe
the complete removal of the built up roof membrane and insulation
down to and exposing the roof deck.
THIRTY POUND -Roofing felt that weighs
30 lbs. per 100 square feet. 18 and 36" rolls, one and two squares respectively.
TIE IN -A term used to describe the joining
of a new roof with the old.
TIN SHINGLE -Thin metal rectangles
about 4x8 inches.
TONGUE AND GROOVE -Wood boards with
a groove on one side and a ridge or tongue on the other, to lock together
for strength.
TOP MOPPING -The finished mopping of
hot bitumen on a built-up roof.
TORCHING -Applying direct flame to a membrane
for the purpose of melting, heating or adhering.
TRUSS -A major supporting structure usually
timber for roof decks.
TUCK POINTING -The re-grouting of defective mortar
joints in a masonry or brick wall.
TURBINE -Air flow device used to ventilate
attic areas. Mounted on the roof and driven by the wind.
UNDERLAYMENT -Materials used to complement
others as a first of two or more layers.
UTILITY KNIFE -Handheld tool that
can hold different types of razor blades.
VALLEY -Depression angle created when
two sloped areas meet.
VALLEY METAL -Sheet metal used to
cover valley areas of the roof.
VAPOR RETARDER -A membrane which is
placed between the insulation and the roof deck to retard water vapor
in the building from entering the insulation and condensing into liquid
water.
VEINING -The characteristic lines
or "stretch marks" which develop during the aging process of soft
bitumens.
VENT PIPE -A vertical pipe of
relatively small dimensions which protrudes through a roof to provide
for the ventilation of gasses.
VENTILATOR -Device installed on
the roof for the purpose of ventilating the interior of the building.
VENTING -(1) The process of installing
roof vents in a roof assembly to relieve vapor pressure. And (2) The
process of water in the insulation course of the roof assembly evaporating
nd exiting via the roof vents.
VERMICULITE -n aggregate somewhat
similar to perlite that is used as an aggregate in lightweight roof
decks and deck fills. It is formed from mica, a hydrous silicate.
VERTICAL APPLICATION -Roll roofing
laid parallel to the slope of a roof.
WATER STOP -A device designed
to protect the exposed edge of a partially installed BURM from water
entrance.
WEEP HOLE -A hole which allows for
drainage of entrapped water from masonry structures.
WET/DRY-WET PATCH -Type of mastic
that can be used on wet or dry surfaces.
WHIRLYBIRD -See turbine
WORKMAN'S COMP -Insurance held by
an employer in the case a worker is hurt on the job. This can cost more
than 50 cents on every dollar paid in wages, for roofers.
WRINKLE -A raised pattern of ridges
running in a random fashion in a BUR.
ZENOLITE -A lightweight, insulating concrete composed of portland cement, water, and vermiculite aggregate.
