A new roof is an important investment, both in the financial value of your home and your personal comfort. As you research roofing materials and interview roofing contractors, take some time to learn common roofing terms.

Many roofing terms refer to roof construction and issues that lead to roofing problems, while others are important home improvement terms that will come in handy with other projects.

Roofing Construction Terms

• Asphalt: A waterproofing agent used in many types of roofing materials
• Deck: The substrate material, usually plywood, that roofing materials are applied over
• Mortar: A mixture used to bond bricks together
• Nesting: Aligning a second layer of shingles with the original roof to avoid shingle cupping
• Pitch: The ratio of the rise of the roof to the span; sometimes higher roof pitch means difficult installations and with low roof pitches, water may have trouble draining off the roof
• Roof Louvers: Rooftop vents used for air movement, also called mushroom vents or box vents
• Valley: The area where two sloped roof planes meet, creating a V-shaped section; sometimes are the source of water leaks

Roofing Maintenance and Problems Terms

• Algae: A fungus that can grow on roofs when there is too much moisture
• Blistering: Bubbles that appear in roofing materials, usually caused by moisture
• Cupping: When shingles are not properly installed over an existing roof
• Nail Pop: When a nail sits up from the roof deck instead of being driven into the roofing material

About the Author
Allison E. Beatty is a syndicated real estate writer who has been writing home improvement columns for 15 years.