ROOFING 101

The following information is provided by the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) as part of their ongoing effort to educate home and building owners about roofing and roofing contractors. A new roof system is a big investment, and you should get a quality roof system at a fair price from a professional roofing contractor. Hopefully, this information will make you a more knowledgeable consumer and, when the time comes, a smart roof system buyer. ROOF SYSTEM COMPONENTS All steep-slope roof systems (i.e., roofs with slopes of 25 percent or more) have five basic components: Roof covering: shingles, tile, slate or metal and underlayment that protect the sheathing from weather. Sheathing: boards or sheet material that are fastened to roof rafters to cover a house or building. Roof structure: rafters and trusses constructed to support the sheathing. Flashing: sheet metal or other material installed into a roof system's various joints and valleys to prevent water seepage. Drainage: a roof system's design features, such as shape, slope and layout that affect its ability to shed water.