Have you ever wondered what a roofer meant by a ‘hip’ or ‘valley’? Are you confused by the difference between a ‘rake’ and a ‘ridge’? Have you always been curious as to what a ‘gable’ is?

As with specialists in most industries, roofing contractors have developed their own lingo over the years for ease of communication. Doctors, artists, lawyers, and even diner workers use words and phrases that are unique to their line of work simply because it makes things go faster.

For instance, it would be both tediously repetitive and a waste of time for a supervisor to ask his crew to, “please install an asphalt-impregnated mat of interwoven organic and inorganic fibers into that depressed angle formed by the meeting of those two adjoining but differently-faced roof planes.” No, it’s far easier to say, “Guys, put some felt in that valley.”

Gulf Western Roofing is currently in the process of adding and maintaining a full glossary of roofing terms to our website. The next time a roofer talks about a fishmouth, gambrel, or a cricket, you’ll know exactly what they mean.