Roofing Types & Installation

General Installation

• Roofing installation begins with a starter strip, which prevents water from getting through the roof. The starter strip is placed on a lower corner of the roof, such as the left edge, then the installer works to the right and upward to the top. Shingles are arranged so the ends do not go directly above gaps in the shingles below. Then the shingles are nailed down and sealed. Roofing tar adheres the shingles to the starter strip. A plastic ridge vent is then installed at the very top of the roof with 3-inch roofing nails. The plastic ridge vent holds the two roofs together in a long strip and allows heat to escape from the attic through the holes or ridges in the vent.

Low-Slope Roofing

• Low-slope roofs divide into five categories. The first is built-up roof membranes, where one layer builds upon another. There are also metal panel roof systems for low-slope applications. Single-ply membranes compose thermoplastic membranes and thermoset membranes. Other low-slope roofing types are polymer-modified bitumen sheet membranes and spray polyurethane foam-based roof systems.

Steep-Slope Roofing

• Most roofs use a steep-slope roofing type. These roofs are made of asphalt shingles, clay or concrete tile. They also might be made of metal, slate or wood shakes or shingles. Steep-slope roofs use roof decks as the bottom layer of the roof, usually constructed of plywood or oriented strand board. Then, another layer of waterproofing adds to the roof to ensure sturdiness. The roof covering is the last part, which is the clay tiles or shingles, that sheds the water from the roof.

Roofing Style

• There are 11 different roofing styles. Gable roofs are the most common style, and most roofing materials can be used to make this type of roof. Another style often seen is a cross-gabled roof, where one gable roof connects perpendicular to another. There are also other types, such as mansard, hip, pyramid hip, cross hipped, saltbox, gambrel, flat, bonnet and shed roofs.