What Is the Rake of a Roof?

Rake is Incline

• The rake of a roof has nothing to do with raking, although there are roof rakes used to remove snow from roofs in wintry climates. At its most basic, rake is a term to describe the sloped sides on the end of a gable roof. One glossary calls it the inclined edge of a sloped roof. Two rakes on the gable form a triangle at the roof peak.

Rake Overhangs

• Most gable rakes have overhangs, extensions of the roof beyond the end of the house or other building. These rake ends usually have a soffit on the underneath side, to enclose the framing, and a fascia or trim board to cover the outside face of the slope.

Flat Rakes

• Some gable roofs omit the overhang. In those cases, the rake board is simply a board, usually a 1-by-4-inch or 1-by-6-inch installed just below the line of the roofing material. This rake board is nailed flat to the siding on the gable, just under the roofing material.

Rake Edge

• Rakes usually have a metal flashing, called rake edge, installed between the roofing material and rake board. This edging is bent, one side going under the shingles or roofing material, the other side down the face of the rake board to make a barrier that prevents water from getting in under the roofing and damaging the roof wood.