Rooftop Anatomy

Your roofing system has the following basic components and tasks:

Gutters collect and drain rainwater away from your home.

Downspouts are the exit spouts for water draining from the gutters.

Flashing is the platsic or metal weather stripping along the drip edges of eaves, pipes, roof planes, vents and the chimney.

Shingles are the individual overlapping elements of the roof.

There are hidden materials that are invisible in this picture:

Felt is underlying material between your shingles.

Decking is composed of wooden boards that are nailed to the rafters of your home.

Decking helps prevent leaks in the event that your shingles fail.

Have questions about your rooftop anatomy? Head over to our Roofing forums and talk to other do-it-yourselfers!