Roofing includes the framing you can't see under and the roof covering that sits on top of the roof deck, that acts like a raincoat and sheds water falling on the house. Roofs can have many shapes, from simple to more complex with valleys and different slopes. There are also many different roofing materials with asphalt shingles being the most popular in the US.
Today's roofs are framed with pairs of rafters or pre-fabricated wooded trusses assembled onsite with truss connector plates. Roofs are designed and built to achieve certain levels of energy efficiency.
Learn more about your roofing options in our homeowner library.
Radiant heating – Like the sun, radiant heat warms objects and people in line of site.
Rafters – Structural members used to frame and support a roof.
(Attic) Rafter Vents – When installing insulation in an attic, you need to first install attic rafter vents to make sure there are open airways for ventilation.
Rake – The inclined edge of a sloped roof over a wall.
Random Tab Shingles – Shingles on which tabs vary in size and exposure.
Realtor – A real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of Realtors. Also used more generally to refer to a real estate professional, although agents may not advertise themselves as Realtors unless they belong to the board.
Recourse Loan – When a mortgage or home equity line of credit is a recourse loan, this means you're personally liable for the debt if you default on the loan.
Recovering – The process of covering an existing roofing system with a new roofing system.
Recycling – Reusing products and materials rather than letting them fill up landfills. There are post-consumer waste materials from used containers, packaging and other unwanted items. Pre-consumer waste materials are recycled before they are used by consumers, i.e. overruns from factories where materials can be reused in another manufacturing process. Recycling helps reduce the amount of raw materials we use to support today's global lifestyles.
Reducer Strip – Molding that finishes the space between wood or laminate flooring and other flooring surfaces, like vinyl or carpet.
Reentrant Corner – An inside corner of a surface, producing stress concentrations in the roofing or waterproofing membrane.
Reglet – A groove in a wall or other surface adjoining a roof surface for the attachment of counterflashing.
Reinforced Joint – A concrete joint bridged by reinforcing steel embedded in both joining parts.
Relative Humidity – The ratio of the mass per unit volume (or partial pressure) of water vapor in an airvapor mixture to the saturated mass per unit volume (or partial pressure) of the water vapor at the same temperature, expressed as a percentage.
Release Tape – A plastic or paper strip that is applied to the back of self-sealing shingles. This strip prevents the shingles from sticking together in the bundles, and need not be removed for application.
REO – Real Estate Owned – Property that the bank owns as the result of foreclosure.
Re-Roofing (Also known as Recovering) – The process of recovering or replacing an existing roofing system.
Resilient Channels – Metal channels used to further inhibit sound transmission through wall and ceiling framing.
Ridge – The top edge of the roof where two adjoining roof surfaces meet.
Ridge Vent – A vent mounted along the entire ridge line of the roof to allow the passage of air through the attic or cathedral ceiling.
Right of First Refusal – The right to purchase a property under terms and conditions made by another purchaser and accepted by the seller. For example, if the Jones’ make an offer of $120,000 on a property and the seller accepts the offer subject to the Wilson’s’ right of first refusal, the Wilsons have the right to buy the property for $120,000.
Rim Joist – Perimeter joist for wood floor framing system. Usually referred to in conjunction with composite wood floor joists.
Riser – The vertical board in a stairway connecting two treads.
Roller – Heavy tool used after installing vinyl sheet or vinyl tile to press the flooring into the adhesive and to help to remove any entrapped air.
Roll Roofing – Asphalt roofing products manufactured in roll form.
Roofing – The asphalt, fiberglass, or wood shingles-or tile, slate, or metal covering-that provides the outer protection against weather damage.
Roof Sheathing – Structural covering of boards or plywood placed over roof rafters; sheathing provides a structural base for the finish roof.
Roof Vent – A louver or small dome mounted near the ridge of the roof to allow the passage of air through the attic.
Rubber – A material that is capable of recovering from large deformations quickly and forcibly. It can be, or already is, modified to a state in which it is essentially insoluble (but can still swell) in boiling solvents such as benzene or methyl ethyl ketone.
Run – The horizontal distance from the eaves to a point directly under the ridge. One half the span.
R-Value – The measure of heat transfer. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation material's ability to resist the flow of heat through it.
