| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Abutment | The junction of a roof surface with a wall, or any other structural feature, which arises above it. |
| Barge Board | A board fixed along the edge of a gable. |
| Batten | Horizontal small section timbers that are nailed to the rafters and to which tiles/slates are secured. |
| Back Gutter | A gutter formed in lead at the back of a chimney, or any other structure, which penetrates the roof to disperse water onto tiles/slates. |
| Cold Roof | A roof that has insulation laid horizontally at ceiling level and a void between the insulation and its outer roof structure and covering. |
| Course | A horizontal row of tiles or slates. |
| Dormer | Framed window unit, which projects through the sloping plane of a roof. |
| Down Pipe | Pipe which takes water away from guttering to drains. |
| Eaves | The horizontal, lower edge of a sloped roof - where the first course of tiles/slates are laid on the fascia board. |
| Fascia Board | The horizontal timber trim attached vertically at the eaves that covers the rafter ends, the wall plate or the wall face – the guttering is fixed to this and upon which the first course of tiles/slates are laid. |
| Felt/Underlay | Untearable bituminous or PVC sheet material, supplied in rolls and laid over rafters. |
| Flashing | Strip of lead, used at abutments, to stop water penetration. The ‘Code’ of lead means the thickness. |
| Gable | The upper portion of a sidewall, which comes to a triangular point at the ridge of a sloping roof. |
| Gauge | The length of tile/slate exposed after it has been installed. It equals the distance between the top of one batten and the top of the next. |
| Gutter | The trough that channels water from the eaves to the down pipes. |
| Headlap | The amount by which a tile/slate overlaps the course below it. |
| Hip | The meeting of two pitched roof surfaces, which meet at an external angle. |
| Hip Iron | A metal hook, which is secured to the roof structure to support the hip tiles and stop them from slipping. |
| Mortar | Sand & cement mix consisting of 3 parts sand to1 part cement. |
| Parapet | Low protective wall that extends above the roofline for support. |
| Pitch | Also known as ‘slope’ , is the measure of how steep a roof is. The pitch of a roof is a big factor in determining the kinds of materials that can be used and the longevity of the roof. Usually, a steeper roof will last longer due to its better draining capabilities. |
| Purling | Main structural roof support timber: usually situated half way up the roof span: to which rafters are nailed. |
| Rafter | The supporting framing timber, sloping from ridge to wall plate. |
| Raking Cut | A diagonal cut across courses of tiles/slates. |
| Ridge | The uppermost horizontal junction of two slopes forming the apex of a pitched roof. |
| Saddle | A piece of impervious flexible sheet material (usually lead) dressed to shape, fitted to provide weather protection. |
| Secret Gutter | A gutter former at an abutment and effectively hidden from sight. |
| Soaker | A small piece of sheet (usually lead), shaped and inserted between double lap tile or slates on the abutment between a roof slope and a vertical wall. |
| Soffit Board | A board fixed to the feet of rafters, which forms the underside of projecting eaves. |
| Undercloak | Fibre cement strip, fixed at the verge beneath the battens, onto which the verge tiles/slates are bedded. |
| Underlay | A layer of material acting as a barrier between the roof covering and the sub-structure (see felt). |
| Valley | The junction of two inclined roof surfaces at an internal angle to provide water run-off; channel to allow roof slopes at different pitches to join together and discharge water into gutters. |
| Valley Gutter | A visible gutter running down the valley. |
| Verge | A free end of a roof surface; for example that at the end of a gable or dormer. |
| Warm Roof | A roof that has insulation and a vapour barrier laid above or between its supporting structure (normally on the pitch of the rafters), and immediately below its weatherproof membrane. |