How Does a Roof Work?
Roof decking (also called roof sheathing) is the wooden foundation (plywood or planks) that the rest of your roof is installed on. There are two types of roof decking: plank decking and sheet decking.
Plank decking is made up of elongated and rectangular wooden boards that are either 1x6 or 1x8, depending on the span of your rafters. Sheet decking (or sheathing) is literally flat sheets of wood (plywood or OSB) that are much wider than planks.
OSB (oriented strand board) is wood chips/strips compressed together to form a flat 7/16” sheet, while plywood comes in several different thicknesses (⅜”, ½”, ⅝”, and ¾”).
Any rotten or compromised roof decking must be replaced before installation can begin.
However, we won’t know how much will need replacing until after the tear off process of your roof replacement.
Drip edge is metal flashing installed at the roof’s edges (eaves and rakes) to prevent water from getting underneath the roofing material and underlayment. Without it, your fascia board and roof decking’s edges will rot from prolonged exposure to water.
Drip edge is also required per building codes and must be installed correctly for your home to pass an inspection. Unfortunately, we see too many roofs without drip edge.
While it can be left off by laziness or lack of experience, bad roofers knowingly exclude it from their estimates to lower prices.
If your roof estimate doesn’t have a line item for drip edge from other roofers, we recommend calling Roof Monster to get the job done right the first time.
Roof underlayment is a felt or synthetic material installed directly over your roof decking before the roofing material is installed. Its purpose is to provide a layer of protection for your decking if water gets underneath your roofing material.
The two types of underlayment options are felt and synthetic.
Felt underlayment has been around the roofing industry longer than synthetic and comes in 15 lb. and 30 lb. rolls. Both types do the job, but 30 lb. felt underlayment is thicker, stronger, and less likely to tear than 15 lb.
Synthetic underlayment is made out of woven/spun polyethylene or polypropylene, which means it won’t hold moisture. It’s more durable, holds nails better, and repels water better than felt underlayment.
Felt isn’t a bad choice, but we recommend spending the extra money for the functionality and better water protection synthetic underlayment.
"Our roof was damaged by a storm and we needed immediate help. Brock and his team committed to tarp our roof to prevent further damage and worked with our insurance to cover the cost of the entire job (minus our deductible, of course). They explained things clearly and everything looks great and secure. They made this stressful situation a little less stressful."
KYLE N.
"When I discovered my 3.5 year old house needed a new roof due to a shingle manufacturer defect Solteriors came highly recommended. Brock went above and beyond to make sure the warranty department got all the requested items for the claim. I can’t tell you how much he put me at ease through the whole process especially during this stressful time. He is personable, he responds to calls or texts immediately, and he is very professional. Thank you Brock and the Roof Monster team."
MARK S.
"Great company to work with! We had a few items that were not up to the quality I wanted.
I was able to bring up these concerns with the team working on my home and they were acknowledged
and addressed. Roof looks fantastic!"
JOHNATHAN D.
Brock provided us excellent customer service. We were dealing with a storm damaged roof.
He worked with our insurance company and the process went seamlessly on a total roof replacement. Thankyou for helping my friend's and family with their roof replacement's.
We highly recommend Brock and his company Roof Monster."
WENDY O.
