Glossary
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
A
- Algae Discoloration
- A type of roof discoloration caused by algae. Commonly called fungus growth.
- American Method
- Application of giant individual shingles with the long dimension parallel to the rake. Shingles are applied with a 19 mm space between adjacent shingles in a course.
- APP
- Atactic polypropylene. A plastic polymer used in the modification of asphalt.
- ASTM
- American Society for Testing and Materials. A voluntary organization concerned with development of consensus standards, testing procedures, and specifications.
- Asphalt
- A bituminous waterproofing agent applied to roofing materials during manufacture.
- Asphalt Roofing Cement
- An asphalt-based cement used to bond roofing materials. Also known as flashing cement or mastic; should conform to ASTM D 4586 (Asbestos Free) or ASTM D 2822 (Asbestos Containing) or CGSB 37-GP-5MA.
B
- Backsurfacing
- Fine mineral matter applied to the back side of shingles to keep them from sticking together. IKO uses backsurfacing materials such as talc and dolomite.
- Base Flashing
- That portion of the flashing attached to or resting on the deck to direct the flow of water onto the roof covering.
- Blisters
- Bubbles that may appear on the surface of asphalt roofing after installation.
- Brands
- Airborne burning embers released from a fire.
- Bridging
- A method of re-roofing with metric-sized shingles.
- Bundle
- A package of shingles. There are typically 3, 4, or 5 bundles per square.
- Butt Edge
- The lower edge of the shingle tabs.
C
- CAN
- This designation in front of a CSA, CGSB or ULC represents that it is a Canadian national standard.
- Caulk
- To fill a joint with mastic or asphalt cement to prevent leaks.
- Chalk Line
- A line made on the roof by snapping a taut string or cord dusted with chalk. Used for alignment purposes.
- Class "A"
- The highest fire-resistance rating for roofing as per ASTM E 108 or ULC S107. Indicates roofing is able to withstand severe exposure to fire originating from sources outside the building. All of IKO’s fiberglass shingles qualify as Class A roof coverings when installed according to our application instructions.
- Class "B"
- Fire-resistance rating that indicates roofing materials are able to withstand moderate exposure to fire originating from sources outside the building.
- Class "C"
- Fire-resistance rating that indicates roofing material is able to withstand light exposure to fire originating from sources outside the building. All IKO’s organic shingles qualify as Class C roof coverings when installed according to our application instructions.
- Closed Cut Valley
- A method of valley treatment in which shingles from one side of the valley extend across the valley while shingles from the other side are trimmed 50 mm from the valley centerline. The valley flashing is not exposed.
- Coating
- A layer of viscous asphalt applied to the base material into which granules or other surfacing is embedded.
- Collar
- Pre-formed flange placed over a vent pipe to seal the roof around the vent pipe opening. Also called a vent sleeve.
- Concealed Nail Method
- Application of roll roofing in which all nails are driven into the underlying course of roofing, and covered by a cemented, overlapped course. Nails are not exposed to the weather.
- Condensation
- The change of water from vapor to liquid when warm, moisture-laden air comes in contact with a cold surface.
- Counter Flashing
- That portion of the flashing attached to a vertical surface to prevent water from migrating behind the base flashing.
- Course
- A row of shingles or roll roofing running the length of the roof.
- Coverage
- Amount of weather protection provided by the roofing material. Depends on the number of layers of material between the exposed surface of the roofing and the deck; i.e., single coverage, double coverage, etc.
- Cricket
- A peaked saddle construction at the back of a chimney to prevent the accumulation of snow and ice, and to deflect water around the chimney.
- CSA
- Canadian Standards Association. A voluntary organization concerned with development of consensus standards, testing procedures and specifications.
- Cutout
- The open portions of a strip shingle between the tabs.
D
- Deck
- The surface, installed over the supporting framing members, to which the roofing is applied.
- Dormer
- A framed window unit projecting through the sloping plane of a roof
- Double Coverage
- Application of asphalt roofing such that the lapped portion is at least 50 mm wider than the exposed portion, resulting in two layers of roofing material attached to the deck.
- Downspout
- A pipe for draining water from roof gutters. Also called a leader.
- Drip Edge
- A non-corrosive, non-staining material used along the eaves and rakes to allow water run-off to drip clear of underlying construction.
E
- Eaves
- The horizontal, lower edge of a sloped roof.
- Eaves Flashing
- Additional layer of roofing material applied at the eaves to help prevent damage from water back-up.
- Edging Strips
- Boards nailed along eaves and rakes (after cutting back existing wood shingles) to provide secure edges for re-roofing with asphalt shingles.
- Ell
- An extension of a building at right angles to its length.
- Exposed Nail Method
- Application of roll roofing in which all nails are driven into the cemented, overlapping course of roofing. Nails are exposed to the weather.
- Exposure
- That portion of the roofing exposed to the weather after installation. For example, the exposure of IKO’s Armour Plus 20 shingles is 143 mm.
- Exposure I Grade Plywood
- Type of plywood approved by the American Plywood Association for exterior use.
F
- Felt
- Fiberous material saturated with asphalt and used as an underlayment or sheathing paper, such as IKO’s AM #15 Asphalt Felt.
- Fiberglass Mat
- An asphalt roofing base material manufactured from glass fibers.
- Flashing
- Pieces of metal or roll roofing used to prevent seepage of water into a building around any intersection or projection in a roof such as vent pipes, chimneys, adjoining walls, dormers, and valleys. Galvanized metal flashing should be minimum 28-gauge.
- FM
- Factory Mutual Research Corporation is a scientific research and testing facility that works with commercial and industrial clients to ensure that their products and services meet standards and approvals. For roofing products, Factory Mutual provides fire and wind testing services.
G
- Gable
- The upper portion of a sidewall that comes to a triangular point at the ridge of a sloping roof.
- Gable Roof
- A type of roof containing sloping planes of the same pitch on each side of the ridge. Contains a gable at each end.
- Gambrel Roof
- A type of roof containing two sloping planes of different pitches on each side of the ridge. The lower plane has a steeper slope than the upper. Contains a gable at each end.
- Granules
- Ceramic-coated colored crushed rock that is applied to the exposed surface of asphalt roofing products. IKO makes its own granules at our Madoc, Ontario, and Ashcroft, British Columbia granule plants. Granules protect the asphalt coating from the sun’s rays, add color to the product and enhance fire resistance.
- Gutter
- The trough that channels water from the eaves to the downspout. Also known as an eavestrough.
H
- Headlap
- Shortest distance from the butt edge of an overlapping shingle to the upper edge of a shingle in the second course below. The triple coverage portion of the top lap of strip shingles.
- Hip
- The inclined external angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof planes. Runs from the ridge to the eaves.
- Hip Roof
- A type of roof containing sloping planes of the same pitch on each of four sides. Contains no gables.
- Hip Shingles
- Shingles used to cover the inclined external angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof planes. Normally IKO’s three tab shingles are used to make hip shingles, but for some products, IKO makes specific hip and ridge shingles, such as our Dynasty Hip and Ridge.
I
- Ice Dam
- Condition formed at the lower roof edge by the thawing and re-freezing of melted snow on the overhang. Can force water up and under shingles, causing leaks.
- Interlocking Shingles
- Individual shingles that mechanically fasten to each other to provide wind resistance, such as IKO’s Armour Lock 20.
J
No glossary terms starting with the letter J.
K
No glossary terms starting with the letter K.
L
- Laminated Shingles
- Strip shingles containing more than one layer of tabs to create extra thickness. Also called three-dimensional shingles or architectural shingles. IKO’s Cambridge series, Chateau and Dynasty are all laminated shingles.
- Lap
- To cover the surface of one shingle or roll with another.
- Lap Cement
- An asphalt-based cement (conforming to ASTM D 3019 or CGSB 37-GP-8MA) used to adhere overlapping plies of roll roofing.
- Low Slope Application
- Method of installing asphalt shingles on roof slopes 9.5° – 18.4°.
M
- Mansard Roof
- A type of roof containing two sloping planes of different pitch on each of four sides. The lower plane has a much steeper pitch than the upper, often approaching vertical. Contains no gables.
- Masonry Primer
- An asphalt-based primer used to prepare masonry surfaces for bonding with other asphalt-based products.
- Mastic
- See ‘Asphalt Roofing Cement’.
- Mineral Stabilizers
- Finely ground limestone, slate, traprock or other inert materials added to asphalt coatings for durability and increased resistance to fire and weathering.
- Mineral-Surfaced Roofing
- Asphalt shingles and rolled roofing that are covered with granules.
N
- Nesting
- A method of re-roofing with new asphalt shingles over old shingles in which the top edge of the new shingle is butted against the bottom edge of the existing shingle tab.
- No-Cutout Shingles
- Shingles consisting of a single, solid tab with no cutouts, such as IKO’s New Englander shingles.
- Non-Veneer Panel
- Any wood-based panel that does not contain veneer and carries an American Plywood Association span rating, such as wafer board or oriented strand board.
- Normal Slope Application
- Method of installing asphalt shingles on roof slopes 18.4° – 60.3°.
O
- Offset
- The distance between the edge of one shingle course and the edge of the next successive shingle course.
- Open Valley
- Method of valley construction in which shingles on both sides of the valley are trimmed along a chalk line snapped on each side of the valley. Shingles do not extend across the valley. Valley flashing is exposed.
- Organic Mat
- See ‘Organic Felt’.
- Organic Felt
- An asphalt roofing base material manufactured from cellulose fibers that is used in the production of shingles and underlayment. IKO produces its own high quality felt at our Brampton, Ontario, and Calgary, Alberta felt mills.
- Overhang
- That portion of the roof structure that extends beyond the exterior walls of a building.
P
- Pallets
- Wooden platforms used for storing and shipping roofing products.
- Pitch
- The degree of roof incline expressed as the ratio of the rise, in feet, to the span, in feet. See also ‘Slope’.
- Ply
- A layer of roofing (i.e., one-ply, two-ply).
Q
No glossary terms starting with the letter Q.
R
- Racking
- Roofing application method in which shingle courses are applied vertically up the roof rather than across and up. Typically, this is not a recommended procedure.
- Rafter
- The supporting framing member immediately beneath the deck, sloping from the ridge to the wall plate.
- Rake
- The inclined edge of a sloped roof over a wall.
- Random-Tab Shingles
- Shingles on which tabs vary in size and exposure, such as IKO’s Regency shingle.
- Release Tape
- A plastic or paper strip that is applied to the back of self-sealing shingles. This strip prevents the shingles from sticking together in the bundles, and does not need to be removed for application.
- Ridge
- The uppermost, horizontal external angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof planes.
- Ridge Shingles
- Shingles used to cover the horizontal external angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof planes.
- Rise
- The vertical distance from the eaves line to the ridge.
- Roll Roofing
- Asphalt roofing products manufactured in roll form.
- Run
- The horizontal distance from the eaves to a point directly under the ridge. One half the span.
S
- Saturant
- Asphalt used to impregnate an organic felt base material.
- Saturated Felt
- See ‘Felt’.
- SBS
- Styrene-butadiene-styrene. A rubber polymer used in the modification of asphalt.
- Self-Adhered Eave and Flashing Membrane
- A self-adhering bituminous waterproofing shingle underlayment designed to protect against water infiltration due to ice dams and wind-driven rain. IKO’s product is ArmourGard Ice and Water Protector, which is available in various sizes.
- Self-Sealing Shingles
- Shingles containing factory-applied strips or spots of self-sealing adhesive.
- Self-Sealing Strip or Spot
- Factory-applied adhesive that bonds shingle courses together when exposed to the heat of the sun after application.
- Selvage
- That portion of roll roofing overlapped by the succeeding course to obtain single or double coverage at the lap.
- Shading
- Slight differences in shingle color that may occur as a result of normal manufacturing operations.
- Sheathing
- In the context of steep slope roofing, sheathing refers to exterior grade boards used as a roof deck material.
- Shed Roof
- A roof containing only one sloping plane. Has no hips, ridges, valleys or gables.
- Single Coverage
- Asphalt roofing that provides one layer of roofing material over the deck.
- Slope
- The degree of roof incline expressed as the ratio of the rise, in inches, to the run, in inches. (e.g. 4:12 slope)
- Smooth-Surfaced Roofing
- Roll roofing that is covered with ground mineral powder instead of granules.
- Soffit
- The finished underside of the eaves, which should contain holes or perforations to provide air intake for attic ventilation.
- Soil Stack
- A vent pipe that penetrates the roof.
- Span
- The horizontal distance from eaves to eaves.
- Square
- A unit of roof measure covering 100 ft².
- Starter Strip
- Asphalt roofing applied at the eaves that provides protection by filling in the spaces under the cutouts and joints of the first course of shingles. IKO’s Leading Edge is a pre-made starter strip product ideally suited for this application.
- Steep Slope Application
- Method of installing asphalt shingles on roof slopes greater that 60.3°.
- Step Flashing
- Flashing application method used where a vertical surface meets a sloping roof plane.
- Strip Shingles
- Asphalt shingles that are approximately three times as long as they are wide, such as all of IKO’s metric or standard size three tab shingles.
T
- Tab
- The exposed portion of strip shingles defined by cutouts.
- Telegraphing
- A shingle distortion that may arise when a new roof is applied over an uneven surface.
- Top Lap
- That portion of the roofing covered by the succeeding course after installation.
U
- UL
- Underwriters’ Laboratories, Inc. is a product safety and certification facility that helps its clients achieve global product acceptance. For roofing products, UL provides wind and compliance testing services.
- ULC
- Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada. ULC develops standards, classifications and specifications for products. For roofing products, ULC provides various testing services.
- Underlayment
- Asphalt saturated felt used beneath roofing to provide additional protection for the deck.
V
- Valley
- The internal angle formed by the intersection of two sloping roof planes.
- Vapor Retarder
- Any material used to prevent the passage of water vapor.
- Vent
- Any outlet for air that protrudes through the roof deck such as a pipe or stack. Any device installed on the roof, gable or soffit for the purpose of ventilating the underside of the roof deck.
- Vent Sleeve
- See ‘Collar’.
W
- Woven Valley
- Method of valley construction in which shingles from both sides of the valley extend across the valley and are woven together by overlapping alternate courses as they are applied. The valley flashing is not exposed.
X
No glossary terms starting with the letter X.
Y
No glossary terms staring with the letter Y.
Z
- Zinc Strip
- A metal strip that is placed near the ridge of a roof system. As metal ions are oxidized and erode off the metal strip, they wash down the roof inhibiting algae growth.