Roof ridge

The ridge is the horizontal line running along the highest point of a sloped roof, where two roof surfaces meet. It is also called the peak of the roof.

Hip

The hip is the sloping line where two roof surfaces meet to form a ridge running down from the peak to the eaves.

Valleys

Roof valleys are the opposite of ridges – they are the low points where two sloping roof surfaces meet. Metal channels run along the valleys to cover the gaps between the two roof surfaces and to channel rainwater into your gutters.

Eaves

The eaves are the edges around the bottom of the roof which overhang your home’s walls. They help direct rain water away from the walls, windows and your home’s foundations. Eaves also help to shade your home from the hot summer sun.

Ridge capping

The ridge tiles (also called capping tiles) are the triangular-shaped roof tiles that are used to cover the ridges. Think of the ridge capping as the backbone of your roof. It provides strength and support to the roof and is the first line of defence against water damage.

Bedding

Bedding is the “bed” of cement mortar that holds the ridge tiles in place. The bedding material is a crucial part of the roof’s foundation. If it deteriorates, tiles may shift or even slide off the roof – a danger to anyone underneath! It can also leave your home unprotected from the weather.

Re-bedding

Re-bedding is the process of removing the old, cracked or broken cement mortar that is no longer supporting the ridge tiles, and replacing it with new cement mortar.

Pointing

Pointing is the material applied to the exposed edges of the ridge tiles to help create a stronger hold and a tighter seal. In older homes, the pointing material that was used was cement mortar, which is prone to cracking with the natural contraction and expansion of the roof. Now a flexible pointing material is used, which flexes with the movement of the roof without cracking or breaking off, and should last 10 years.

Re-pointing

Re-pointing is the process of removing the old, cracked or broken pointing material along the edges of the ridge tiles, and replacing it with new, flexible pointing material.

Flashing

Some holes in your roof are deliberate! – allowing for structures like chimneys, flues, skylights and vents to pass through. Flashing is the metal or rubber barrier installed around these structures to keep the roof secure and prevent water from entering through these holes.

Rafters

Rafters are lengths of timber or metal that run from the ridge at the top of the roof to the eaves at the bottom. The rafters are the primary support for your roof.

Roof battens

Battens are lengths of timber or metal that run across the roof rafters or trusses. They are used to provide a fixing point for the tiles. They are very important to the structural function and integrity of your roof.

Gabled roof

This familiar triangular-shaped pitched roof (you often see it in children’s drawings of houses!) consists of two sloped roof sections that meet along the roof ridge.

Hipped roof

A hipped roof is a type of roof with slopes on all four sides that come together to form a ridge at the top.

Skillion roof

A skillion roof has a single sloped surface only, rather than having two or more sloped sides that meet in a ridge or peak.