Glossary of Roofline Terms

As there are so many different roofline terms, your average homeowner is not likely to know them all. So, if you’d like to learn what over fascia ventilation means, what soffits are, and a wealth of other roofline terms, you can find them in the glossary below.

Aluminium – aluminium is a silver-white coloured metal that is extremely rigid and immune to rusting. Because of these qualities, it is a great material to use in the construction of roofline products.

Box end – located on the corners of a property’s gable end, box ends neatly connect the fascias and soffits at the non-gable of a property to those on the gable end.

Bargeboards – the term bargeboard is used to describe a type of fascia board that is fitted to the gable end of a roof.

Bracing bars – these are horizontal bars that sit at the gable end of the property. Originally used to prevent the two sides of a gable roof from separating, they tend to be used purely for aesthetic purposes today.

Corbel – despite appearing to provide structural support, corbels are purely decorative features that protrude from the wall to sit on the underside of any roofing areas.

Cladding – cladding is the term used to describe an exterior covering that is fitted to a property. Timber planks used to be a popular form of cladding, although cladding is available in a variety of materials today.

Downpipes – downpipes are the pipes that are attached to the gutters but run vertically along the wall of the property. They take rainwater from the gutters into a drainage system.

Eaves – the eaves are the edges of the roof that hang over the face of the wall and protrude out from the side of the property. They protrude outwards in order to divert any rainfall away from the building.

Fascia/fascia boards – these are the long, horizontal boards that run along the lower edge of the roof.

Finial – finials are ornamental features that sit at the apex of a roof. On a roof that has two sloped sides, the apex is the term used to describe the highest point where the two slopes meet.

Guttering – guttering describes a trough or channel that runs around the edge of the roof. They are attached to the fascia boards and their purpose is to divert water from rainfall away from the property to prevent water damage.Over-fascia ventilation – this is a type of concealed ventilator that is fitted to the top of a fascia board to allow for the roof area to be adequately ventilated.

Roofline – roofline is the collective term used to describe the area immediately below the roof. Collectively, it is comprised of fascias, soffits, bargeboards, cladding and any other components that are situated within this area.

Soffit – soffits are long boards that sit underneath the fascias, concealing the eaves from below.

uPVC – uPVC stands for unplasticised polyvinyl chloride. It is a rigid, durable and low maintenance plastic polymer, making it an ideal material for roofline products because they must continuously endure the weather.