Roofing Supplies

Roofing supplies include a wide range of materials and items necessary for the construction and maintenance of a roof. This means not only shingles but molding, lumber, pipes and vents, roofing cements, ladders and all the necessary tools including roofing nails.

One of the most important roofing supplies is, of course, the top 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 more. The roofing material should be chosen based on location, so that the roof will stand up to the local elements and issues that impact a roof.

Lumber is used in a roof primarily as the support structure or frame. This usually consists of a triangular truss and a lattice of beams. The roof itself is then laid over the frame. Other lumber elements include the cornice, part of the frame that hangs over the wall, the fascia, which is the underside of the cornice, the eave, beam ends of the wood frame that allow water to drip away from the roof, and the soffit, which is the underside of the eave.

Pipes and vents stick up from the roof. They help the house breathe, 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 generally sealed with a boot, or metal strip, that includes 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 drip into the pipe or vent.

Roofing tools include the ladder to get to the roof, as well as other items necessary for both installation and removal, as well as for regular maintenance. 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 cut through shingles, seaming pliers to grasp shingles, and a hip runner to install the ridge cap, the portion of the roof on top of seams.

When it comes to roofing nails they must be long enough to go through the shingles and get about 3/8 inch below the bottom of the shingle. Anything that interferes with the nails biting into the wood could cause the nail to pull out, and eventually the loss of shingles. This includes shingles with ridges, some under shingle materials, and of course nails that are too short. 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.