What Are the Various Components Of A Residential Roofing System?

Roofing involves much more than just what is seen from the outside.

In fact, residential roofing services doing a new installation may need to address multiple issues under the so-called skin of a roof before putting on the exterior materials.

For homeowners to better understand roofing costs and the procedures used by residential roofer services, an explanation of four categories of roofing components will help.

Every reputable residential roof contractor addresses all four of these groups of components with every new installation to ensure the best results.

  1. Structural Components - The base of every roofing installation done by a residential roofing service is its structure and all the components that hold up the roof. This includes the trusses and rafters, roof ridge beam, ceiling joists, and decking. All these components should be inspected before every new installation to ensure there is no damage and that the whole structural system is sound. 
  2. Interior Protective Components - Over the structure, residential roofer services will lay various components to protect them and waterproof these critical parts. A quality, water-resistant, breathable underlayment over the decking is essential. Starter shingles, drip edges, as well as ice and water shields in valleys and corners are also a part of this category of protective components that go on prior to the external materials. 
  3. Exterior Materials - Over the interior protection, residential roof contractors then install the external shingles, tiles, or metal panels as well as any roofing vents required to keep the attic space well-ventilated so the whole system performs as it should. 
  4. Exterior Protective Components - The last group of components installed with every new roof includes items that protect the exterior materials like flashing, seals and boots around vent pipes and other protrusions, soffit and fascia that seal off the interior space, and guttering.

The purpose of understanding these four categories of components and their parts is to help homeowners understand how these parts all work within a roofing system.

When problems arise or residential roofing services must make repairs, that could require much more than just replacing the materials that are seen from the outside.

Damage at the outer-most level can create additional damage to all the other levels. 

Being aware of this can also help to explain the high cost of repairs made by residential roof contractors when the problem lies deeper than just on the surface.

Inspections performed by skilled residential roofer services that can properly detect all damage, inside or out, and do correct repairs and installations are therefore highly essential!