Essential Requirements for Roofing Supplies

The term “roofing supplies” covers a wide range of materials and items necessary for roof construction and maintenance. This means not only shingles but molding, lumber, pipes and vents, roofing cements, ladders and all the useful tools , even roofing nails.

Starting at the top, let's consider the roofing material. This is considered the roof proper and includes wood shingles, ceramic tiles, asbestos shingles, metal roofing sheets and tiles, rubber roofing sheets and shingles, and a lot of other types of materials. Location is a prime concern when selecting roofing material, so that the roof will withstand the local elements and issues that interact with a roof.

The frame or support structure of a roof is lumber. This generally consists of a triangular truss and a lattice of beams. The frame serves as the base for the roof which is laid over the top. Lumber is used for other elements including the cornice, part of the frame that overhangs the wall, the fascia, or underside of the cornice, the eave, which allows water to drip away from the roof, and the soffit, which is the underside of the eave.

Pipes and vents protrude from the roof. They assist in the house breathing, and are also the escape routes for smoke from a fireplace or cooking hood, as well as for hot air from the attic. The bottoms of pipes and vents are commonly sealed with a boot, or metal strip, including a lead based or plastic sealant. These pipes and vents have one way shields sealed with rubber so that the air or smoke can escape, but water doesn't get into the pipe or vent.

Now onto the roofing tools which include the ladder to climb up to the roof, as well as other tools used for maintenance, installation and removal. These include simple items such as a broom and bucket to hold waste shingles, a slater's hammer that includes a hammer as well as an ax and blade, a slate cutter to saw through shingles, seaming pliers to remove shingles, and a hip runner to install the ridge cap, the portion of the roof on top of seams.

Roofing nails must be long enough to extend through the shingles and make it about 3/8 inch below the underside of the shingle. Anything that interferes with the nails biting into the wood can cause the nail to spring out of the shingle, and eventually the loss of shingles. This includes shingles with ridges, some under shingle materials, and of course nails that aren't long enough for the roofing material. A good roofer can drive a roofing nail with one solid hit. A homeowner doing it themselves will find that they can drive the nails with one hit after only a few minutes.

Roofing supplies aren't as simple as they first seem. But with a little planning, you'll have everything needed for a quality roof.