Roofing and Gutter Terms

By Gerry Donaghue • February 25, 2017
Roofing and Gutter Terms

When you need work done on your roof or gutters, you need to make sure you can actually understand what the contractor is telling you. There are a lot of terms that get thrown around for every roofing installation and gutter installation. Read up on them, so you can have an informative conversation with your remodeler.

 

You may hear your roofer talk about the soffit. This is a vent located directly underneath a roof that provides your attic with adequate ventilation. You also need to be aware of your roof’s flashing. This item is made out of either vinyl or metal. This is the component of the roof that is responsible for moving water away from the roof so that it is unable to collect.

 

A problem that can necessitate a new roof is referred to as alligatoring. This is when the seams have opened up on your roof due to the materials underneath cracking. Most of the time, this occurs to tar roofs, and it typically occurs after the 10-year mark. This problem generally requires a total roofing installation to fix. Another issue to be aware of is the formation of an ice dam. This is when ice forms in the gutters and prevents water from properly flowing.

 

You also need to be aware of the difference between a pitch and a slope in relation to roofing. The pitch is the ratio of rising within the roof, and it is always expressed through a fraction. For example, a roof would be said to have a 1:6 pitch. The slope is expressed through inches, and it relates to how much the roof rises over a certain area of the house. For instance, if the slope rises three inches over a plane of 12 inches, then it would have a 3-in-12 slope.

 

You deserve to know what is going on with your house when you get a gutter installation or roofing installation. By knowing a few things, you can better communicate with your contractor.

February 17, 2025
Welcome to our new website for GT Donaghue Construction & Metal Roofing, LLC! We are so excited to roll out a much needed refresh on our website and share it with all of you. And with a new website comes a reintroduction to us here at GT Donaghue Construction! For those not familiar with us, GT Donaghue Construction & Metal Roofing, LLC (formerly Donaghue Construction) has been in business for almost 40 years working across New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and even parts of New York bringing quality craftsmanship and decades of experience to all the projects we complete. Gerry Donaghue, our founder, started this business out of his house formerly in Nashua, NH and has sustained a quality business over the years through hard work and resilience. We have navigated fluctuations in the industry across the years with some years only allowing for a few members on our crew and some calling for multiple crews and larger partnerships. The one thing that hasn’t changed? Gerry’s commitment to high standard work and building relationships with the folks he serves. A family owned business, his daughter Ashley supports him on his admin team (after she did her time driving the dump truck for him as a teenager!), his brother Andrew works on the job site, and his wife Pat has always been there to help when needed-you can sometimes see her in the office or even at a home show! Gerry has a wealth and variety of experience ranging from ground up new builds, additions and interior remodels, deck installations, siding replacements and installations, and of course his favorite-metal roofing installations. Whether it is a unique custom job or a traditional upgrade, GT Donaghue Construction & Metal Roofing can help you out! We hope you enjoy our new website and feel free to reach out to us when we can help at your house!
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