FAQ & Glossary

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The following are things that may indicate that your roof needs replacing:
    • Missing, cracked or curling shingles
    • Blistering or peeling paint
    • Shingle, sheathing or siding decay
    • Leakage in the attic after heavy rains
    • Stains on interior walls or ceilings
    • High energy bills

  • The answer to this question depends on many factors. For a commitment-free quote, please call 504-248-5922 or email us.

  • Most home improvement stores sell a mildew cleaner that can be applied to your roof with a sprayer. Mildew cleaners shouldn’t damage your roof in any way.

  • When you need a new roof, Schwander Hutchinson Roofing is there, working to simplify the process. Whether looking for information about roofing materials or searching for a reliable contractor, we take the hassle out of your roofing experience. From new construction to re-roofing or repair, no roofing job is too big or difficult for SH Roofing. Our contractors are certified and experienced, utilizing a full line of roofing materials. Call us today!


Roofing Glossary

  • Algae: Rooftop fungus that can leave dark stains on roofing. Angled Fasteners: Roofing nails and staples driven into decks at angles not parallel to the deck. * Apron Flashing * Metal flashing used at chimney fronts. * ARMA * Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association. Organization of roofing manufacturers. * Asphalt * A bituminous waterproofing agent used in various types of roofing materials. * Asphalt Concrete Primer * Asphalt based primer used to prepare concrete and metal for asphalt sealant. * Asphalt Plastic Cement * Asphalt based sealant material, meeting ASTM D4586 Type I or II. Used to seal and adhere roofing materials. Also called mastic, blackjack, roof tar, bull. * ASTM * The American Society for Testing and Materials. Organization that sets standards for a wide variety of materials, including roofing. * Back Surfacing * Granular material added to shingle’s back to assist in keeping separate during delivery and storage. * Blistering * Bubbles or pimples in roofing materials. Usually moisture related. In shingles blisters are caused by either moisture under the material or moisture trapped inside the material. * Blow-Offs * When shingles are subjected to high winds, and are forced off a roof deck. * Buckling * When a wrinkle or ripple affects shingles or their underlayments. * Closed Cut Valley * A shingle valley installation method where one roof plane’s shingles completely cover the other’s. The top layer is cut to match the valley lines. * Cobra® * GAFMC’s respected brand name for ventilation products. * Counter Flashing * The metal or siding material that is installed over roof-top base flashing systems. * Country Mansion® * GAFMC’s limited lifetime warranty shingle. * Crickets * A peaked water diverter installed behind chimneys and other large roof projections. Effectively diverts water around projections. * Cupping * When shingles are improperly installed over an existing roof or are over-exposed, they may form a curl or cup. May also be due to a manufacturing defect. * Deck * The substrate over which roofing is applied. Usually plywood, wood boards, or planks. * Deck Armor * Deck Armor - premium breathable roof deck protection. It provides a critical extra layer of protection between your shingles and your roof deck — to help prevent wind-driven rain (or water from other sources) from infiltrating under your shingles and causing damage to your roof structure or to the inside of your home. * Dormer * A raised roof extending out of a larger roof plane. * Drip Edge * An installed lip that keeps shingles up off the deck at edges, and extends shingles out over eaves and gutters, and prevents * Dubl-Coverage® Mineral Guard * Roll roofing material with 19" selvage edge for double coverage over roof deck. * Eaves * The roof edge from the fascia to the structure’s outside wall. In general terms, the first three feet across a roof is termed the eave. * End Laps * When installing rolled products in roofing, the area where a roll ends on a roof, and is overlapped by the next section of rolled material. * EWA * Engineered Wood Association. Tests and sets standards for all varieties of plywood used in the U.S. * Exposure * The area on any roofing material that is left exposed to the elements. * Fasteners * Nails or staples used to secure roofing to the deck. * FHA * The Federal Housing Authority sets construction standards throughout the U.S. * Fiberglass Mat * Fibers condensed into strong, resilient mats for use in roofing materials. * Flange * Metal pan extending up or down a roof slope around flashing pieces. Usually at chimneys and plumbing vents * Flashing * Materials used to waterproof a roof around any projections * Flashing Cement * Sealant designed for use around flashing areas, typically thicker than plastic cement. * Gable Roof * Traditional roof style; two peaked roof planes meeting at a ridge line of equal size. * GAFCant® * GAFMC cant strips for deflecting water away from flashing areas. Typically used on low slope roofs. * Golden Pledge® * GAFMC’s strongest limited warranty for shingles. America’s strongest steep slope warranty. * Grand Sequoia® * GAFMC shingle with wood shake appearance. * Grand Slate™ * GAFMC shingle with slate appearance. * Granules * Crushed rock that is coated with a ceramic coating and fired, used as top surface on shingles. * Hand-Sealing * The method to assure sealing of shingles on very steep slopes, in high wind areas, and when installing in cold weather. * High Nailing * When shingles are nailed or fastened above the manufacturer’s specified nail location. * Hip Legs * The down-slope ridges on hip roofs. * Hip Roof * A roof with four roof planes coming together at a peak and four separate hip legs. * Ice Dam * When a snow load melts on a roof and re-freezes at the eave areas. Ice dams force water to "back-up" under shingles and cause leakage. * "L" Flashing * Continuous metal flashing consisting of several feet of metal. Used at horizontal walls, bent to resemble an "L". * Laminated Shingles * Shingles made from two separate pieces that are laminated together. Such as GAFMC Timberline® Series, Country Mansion® and Grand Sequoia® Shingles. Also called dimensional shingles and architectural shingles. * Laps * The area where roll roofing or rolled underlayments overlap one another during application (see also side laps and end laps). * Liberty™ * Self-adhering low slope roofing. Liberty™ systems are applied without torches, open flames, hot asphalt, or messy solvent-based adhesives. * Low Slopes * Roof pitches less than 4/12 are considered low sloped roofs. Special installation practices must be used on roofs sloped 2/12-4/12. Shingles can not be installed at slopes less than 2/12. * Mansard * A roof design with a nearly vertical roof plane that ties into a roof plane of less slope at its peak. * Mats * The general term for the base material of shingles and certain rolled products. * Modified bitumen * Rolled roofing membrane with polymer modified asphalt and either polyester or fiberglass reinforcement. * Mortar * Mixture of sand, mortar, limestone and water used in bonding a chimney’s bricks together. * Nail Guide Line * Painted line on laminated shingles, to aid in the proper placement of fasteners. * Nail-Pop * When a nail is not fully driven, it sits up off the roof deck. * Nesting * Installing a second layer of shingles aligning courses with the original roof to avoid shingle cupping. * NRCA * The National Roofing Contractors Association. Respected national organization of roofing contractors. * Open Valley * Valley installation using metal down the valley center. * Organic Mat * Material made from recycled wood pulp and paper. * Organic Shingles * Shingles made from organic (paper) mats. * OSB * Oriented Strand Board. A decking made from wood chips and lamination glues. * Overdriven * The term used for fasteners driven through roofing material with too much force, breaking the material. * Overexposed * Installing shingle courses higher than their intended exposure. * Quarter Sized * Term for the size of hand sealant dabs, size of a U.S. 25¢ piece. * Racking * Method of installing shingles in a straight up the roof manner. * Rake Edge * The vertical edge of gable style roof planes. * Release Film * The plastic sheet installed on the back of Weather Watch® and StormGuard® underlayments. Used for packaging and handling. Remove before installation. * Rigid Vent * Hard plastic ridge vent material. * Roof Louvers * Rooftop rectangular shaped roof vents. Also called box vents, mushroom vents, airhawks, soldier vents. * Roof Plane * A roofing area defined by having four separate edges. One side of a gable, hip or mansard roof. * Sawteeth * The exposed section of double thickness on Timberline® Series shingles - also called dragon teeth. Shaped to imitate wood shake look on the roof. * Self-Sealant * Sealant installed on shingles. After installation, heat and sun will activate sealant to seal the shingles to each other. * Selvage * The non exposed area on rolled roofing. Area without granules. Designed for nail placement and sealant. * Shed Roof * Roof design of a single roof plane. Area does not tie into any other roofs. * Shingle-Mate® * GAFMC’s shingle underlayment. Breather type with fiberglass backing to reduce wrinkles and buckles. * Side Laps * The area on rolled material where one roll overlaps the rolled material beneath it. Also called selvage edge on rolled roofing. * Side Walls * Where a vertical roof plane meets a vertical wall. The sides of dormers etc. * Soffit Ventilation * Intake ventilation installed under the eaves, or at the roof edge. * Smart Choice® Limited Warranty * GAFMC’s standard shingle limited warranty. * Smart Choice® System * Plus Limited Warranty * GAFMC’s next grade of enhanced warranty. Extended coverage for owners. * Starter Strip * The first course of roofing installed. Usually trimmed from main roof material. * Steep Slope Roofing * Generally all slopes higher than 4/12 are considered steep slopes. * Stepflashing * Metal flashing pieces installed at sidewalls and chimneys for weatherproofing. * StormGuard® * GAFMC waterproof underlayment. Film surfaced rolled underlayment, 1.5 squares coverage per roll. * Tab * The bottom portion of traditional shingle separated by the shingle cut-outs. * Tear-Off * Removal of existing roofing materials down to the roof deck. * Telegraphing * When shingles reflect the uneven surface beneath them. Ex: Shingles installed over buckled shingles may show some buckles. * Timberline® Series * GAFMC’s trademark name for laminated wood shake style shingles. * TIMBERTEX® * GAFMC enhanced Hip and Ridge Shingles. * Transitions * When a roof plane ties into another roof plane that has a different pitch or slope. * Underdriven * Term used to describe a fastener not fully driven flush to the shingles surface. * Underlayments * Asphalt based rolled materials designed to be installed under main roofing material to serve as added protection. * Valleys * Area where two adjoining sloped roof planes intersect on a roof creating a "V" shaped depression. * Vapor * Term used to describe moisture laden air. * Warm Wall * The finished wall inside of a structure, used in roofing to determine how far up the deck to install waterproof underlayments at eaves. * Warranty * The written promise to the owner of roofing materials for material related problems. * Waterproof Underlayments * Modified bitumen based roofing underlayments. Designed to seal to wood decks and waterproof critical leak areas. * Weather Stopper® Integrated Roofing System™ * GAFMC’s complete roofing system and components. * Weather Watch® * GAFMC’s granule surfaced waterproof underlayment. * Woven Valleys * The method of installing valleys by laying one shingle over the other up the valley center.

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Why use SH Roofing?

SH Roofing When you need a new roof, Schwander Hutchinson Roofing is there working to simplify the process. Whether looking for information about roofing materials or searching for a reliable contractor, we take the hassle out of your roofing experience. From new construction to re-roofing or repair, no roofing job is too big or difficult for SH Roofing. Our contractors are certified and experienced, utilizing a full line of roofing materials. Call us today!

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