Hello World! Welcome Friends! When it comes to roofing, most people tend to focus on the aesthetics of the roof, namely the shingles. What happens under that top layer of roofing is arguably even more important, adding structural integrity while helping to protect your home.
In this article, we’ll take a look into the inner workings of residential roofs and explore how each of some of the individual layers work in order to protect and ventilate buildings, and why it’s important to choose layers that function well with each other.
Roofs and Roofing Systems
A roof is made up of various layers including shingles, felt underlay, an ice and water barrier, insulation and ventilation. A roofing system describes how all these fittings and components function together to protect the structure beneath. Let’s go into a few of these in more detail:
Roof Decking
The foundation is made up of decking, sometimes called “sheathing”. There’s two main kinds: plank decking using rectangular wooden boards, or sheathing (or sheet decking) using flat sheets of plywood or oriented strand board (OSB).
Underlayment
This material lies in-between the roof material and decking, adding an additional layer of protection from rain. Underlayment comes in two materials: felt and synthetic, which tends to be the more durable and water-repellent of the two.
Ice and Water Shield
Much like underlayment, this waterproof membrane shields against water. It tends to be used where needed, such as around penetrations and roof valleys, but if you live above the snow-line in the US, ice and water shields are required so that the building is up to code.
Flashing
This roofing component is designed to deflect water from areas like the chimneys and valleys of the roof. Roof flashing is usually made from metal and comes in a variety of options, the most common being copper, steel and aluminum.
Drip Edge
The drip edge describes a form of metal flashing typically that is installed at the edge of the roof (the rakes and eaves). This prevents water seeping underneath the layers of roofing, helping to prevent decking and fascia boarding from rot.
Vents
The two main types of roof ventilation system are passive, which tends to come in a ridge, gable-end or box style, and turbine-style active ventilation systems. Both help to ventilate the attic, while offering protection, and lower energy bills.
Ridge Capping
Ridge capping acts as a seal at the top where two slopes of a roof meet. This can be bought ready-curved so that it adapts to the ridge of the roof. In some cases, unscrupulous contractors attempt to reduce costs by skipping this step, but we say don’t cut corners, cover them!
Roofing Materials
The top five residential roofing materials are slate, synthetic, standing-seam, asphalt and cedar-shake. This is the top-layer of the roof that you see when you look at a building, so in addition to protective qualities, it’s also important that it looks good and fits the aesthetic of the house.
The Right Combination
When planning and installing a roofing system, it’s important to use the right components, and that they function effectively together. Rather than adding in layers haphazardly, it’s best to contact an experienced contractor who can then advise you on the best roofing system for your property and the weather conditions in your area.
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