Roofs and roofing systems are something that most people don’t think about regularly if at all. A roofing system may seem like it is only made up of the surface material that you see but there actually several components that homeowners should know about when looking into getting a new roof.

Let’s take a look at the main components that make up a residential roof. We will start from the very base materials to the surface materials.

1. Roof Deck

   The roof deck is the base of a home’s roof. The roof deck goes on directly on the roof rafters and helps give structural rigidity to the home’s entire roof. The roof deck is most commonly made of plywood and is essential to the whole roofing system. The roof deck needs to be replaced on homes when getting a new roof if the plywood is in poor condition.

2. Underlayment

   The underlayment is the next layer of the roof and is the first layer of protection. A quality underlayment is essential to protecting your roof deck and preventing water from penetrating into your home.

3. Valley Details

   The valleys on a home are one of the most vulnerable areas for leaks and water penetration. The details that are used to protect the valleys vary by company but are a critical part of the roofing system. Valleys need to be protected with added underlayment and In our opinion valley metal.

4. Surface Material

   The last part of the roofing system that we will talk about in this article is the actual roof surface. The roofing surface can be metal, asphalt shingle, slate, wood shake, or other synthetic shingles. Choosing a high-quality surface material like an architectural shingle or a metal will ensure that a roof lasts and prevents leaks. You never want to go cheap on the surface material.