C and K Roofing Huntsville explains some common roofing terms and definitions in this video.

Q. What is a Roof Valley?

A valley on a roof is where two sloping parts of the roof meet to form a V.

One of the most notorious places for leaks on a roof is in the valleys. To protect a roof valley, we install what’s called an ice and water shield. This a 3-foot roll which rolls right down into the valley. The ice and water shield adheres right to the roof decking about a foot-and-a-half on either side of the valley. But this is a roof valley and that’s one of the areas you’re most likely to have some leaking problems.

Q. What’s a roof ridge & a ridge cap shingle?

The roof ridge is the highest horizontal part of your roof formed where two sloping parts of your roof meet. The roof ridge is often covered by a special asphalt shingle called a ridge cap shingle.

Right there’s a ridge cap shingle. Ridge cap shingles are excellent for protecting higher stress areas of you roof such the the hips and ridge, by using multi-layer protection. Aesthetically Ridge-cap shingles are good for adding dimension and depth to your roof. At the very top that’s the ridge of the roof. One of the reasons the vents are always seen there because you want to get the ventilation as close to the peak as possible. This is because heat does rise

Q. What about the hip of the roof? What exactly is a hip roof?

The structure that you see going all the way up, that’s called a hip. The hip is a four-sided roof having sloping ends and sides. A hipped roof has no gables, and usually slopes downwards very gently. The pitch on a hipped roof is usually the same and are symmetrical.

Q. How about the Eaves of the Roof?

The Eaves of the Roof are the horizontal, lower edges of a sloped roof. The eaves of the roof stick out past the exterior wall and hang out from the wall line.

Down there are the eaves of the roof. It’s basically where the shingles come down and meet the gutters. This is where a lot of water damage can occur. The function of eaves are to carry rain water away from the roof.

Q. What is a Roof Rake?

A rake basically is your end of a gable. Roof rakes are usually made from plastic or aluminum.

This is where where the shingle’s over hanging the gable.

Q. What is a Gable?

A gable is a triangular roof that has two roof surfaces of the same size, and pitched at the same angle until they meet at the top.

A gable is the structure right here behind you where it comes to a point over a window. This is a gable protrusion and the end of it going up and down is your rake.

Q. What’s a soffit?

The soffit is simply what is underneath the overhang of a roof.

When you are talking about the soffit, it’s basically talking about below the gutters. You have your gutters attached to your fascia board, and below the fascia board and the gutters underneath the house is your soffit.

Q. What’s a fascia board?

A fascia board is the horizontal piece at the top of an exterior wall that covers the connection between the exterior wall and soffit. This is often where you will see the most decoration on a roof.

Most of the times there is some kind venting for your intake ventilation. This is important for to have proper ventilation in and out take of the roof system. Here’s the ventilation in the soffit right here.