You’re a homeowner on Long Beach Island, NJ and your home is ready for a new roof.  You’ve spoken to a few roofing contractors who have thrown around a lot of terms and you have no idea what they’re talking about.  How do you know you’re not being taken advantage of by paying for things you may not need? 

 

How can you ask the right questions to have confidence that you are selecting the right roofing contractor on LBI?

 

Here’s a basic list of terms that you should become familiar with so that you can be sure you are hiring the best contractor for the job.

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• Dormer – A vertically projected item on the roof.  They often have windows and need special attention paid to them when repairing or installing a new roof.

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• Drip Edge – A tough material that should be non-corroding which is placed at the edges of the roof to direct water away from the roof.  This should be placed in between the sheathing and the fascia board.

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• Eave – This is the underside of a roof that projects over the edge of the building.  The eave is another part of the roof that helps to divert water away from the house. 

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• Fascia board – Installed along the lower edges of the roof where the roof meets the outer walls.  An important structure in roof installations, it supports the lower edge or rows of roofing.  This is also where gutters are normally contained.

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• Flashing – Waterproof product (commonly metal) found around items installed on your roof such as chimneys and vent pipes.   Basic job is to stop water from getting where it doesn’t belong.  Missing or worn flashing almost always leads to leaks.

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• Ridges – Where two roof lines intersect at a peak.  These areas are covered in special shingles and are often vented to allow for proper air circulation from the attic.

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• Sheathing – This is the protective layer on which the roofing materials are placed.  This may come up if your roof has sustained a lot of damage and this layer may need to be repaired as well.  You may also hear this referred to as decking.

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• Shingles – This may be an obvious one to many.  Most commonly made of asphalt, this is the visible material placed over the sheathing to cover and protect your home.  They perform many tasks such as preventing water from getting inside your home, providing curb appeal, and protecting your home from other elements such as UV rays, wind, and hail.

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• Slope – The incline of a roof.  Always described as inches per foot.  May be termed as pitch as well.  If you roof has a very steep or very low slope or pitch, different things need to be considered such as special application techniques when doing roofing repair or when having a new roof installed.

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• Valley – Where a ridge is the top intersection of 2 roof lines, the valley is the bottom.  Another area that needs special attention paid to it when installing a new roof or doing roof repairs because these areas are especially at risk of leaks.

 

Now that you have some of the basic terms down, you can feel more confident when speaking to a roofing contractor and be ready to ward off any contractor just trying to take advantage of you.