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Weatherproofing Your Roof With a Roofing System

Weatherproofing your roof is essential.  Your roof is the most important part of your home’s weatherproofing system. Water leakage, ice dams, and trapped condensation can cause a myriad of maladies for your walls, floors, and rooms. Here are a few terms you should know and understand when discussing your roof and how it works.

The basic elements to consider when talking about your roof are roof sheathing, building paper, shingles, flashing and gutters. These are the essential parts of the weatherproofing system designed to keep your home free from all natural elements that may rain down upon it.

First, starting from the bottom up, is the platform on which your roof is built-- roof sheathing. Plywood, the most common type of sheathing, is nailed to the top edges of rafters and trusses. This platform of plywood defines your roof’s surface area; all roofing materials are fastened to it.

Roofing paper or roofing felt is a protective layer that sits on top of the plywood surface. Its purpose is to keep the sheathing moisture free. If your roof doesn’t have building paper, you’re lacking a very thin but important layer of protection.

Material in the form of shingles, tiles or sheets is then secured on top of the roofing paper and into the plywood. This is what we see when we look at a roof, and this is the primary material that protects the sheathing. When replacing an old roof, it’s usually what we consider when we think of the aesthetic look and the practical durability of our roof.

The other material we can see, but that is often less noticeable, is the flashing. Flashing is used to prevent leakage between any structural joints that are found in the roof, such as dormers, skylights, and vents. Flashing, a thin material made from metal or vinyl, prevents seepage and is an important part of the weatherproofing system.

Finally there are the gutters which are used to channel water off the roof and away from your home’s walls and foundation. If all of the other parts of the weatherproofing system are functioning, then the gutter is the last bastion for moisture that can damage your roof. The most common problems with gutters occur when leaves or other sediment or, in the winter, ice, clogs the channels causing water to backup and penetrate under the shingles. Having your gutter system checked and cleaned twice a year can help maintain the integrity of the entire weatherproofing system.

There it is, roof sheathing, building paper, shingles, flashing and gutters; the 5 primary parts of a simple but essential system dedicated to preserving your home.