- Architectural shingledimensional shingle
- An asphalt shingle built from more than one layer, which gives a roof depth and shadow lines instead of a flat pattern. Heavier and longer lasting than a basic three tab shingle.
- Argon fill
- An inert gas sealed between the panes of an insulated window. It conducts less heat than air, so the window insulates better without getting thicker.
- Casement window
- A window hinged on one side that swings open like a door, usually cranked. It seals tightly when closed, which makes it a strong choice on a windy exposure.
- Change order
- A written amendment to the signed contract covering work added, removed, or altered after the project starts, with its own price and its own signature. If it is not a change order, it is not an agreed change.
- ColorPlus TechnologyJames Hardie finish
- A factory applied, baked on finish for James Hardie siding, applied in controlled conditions rather than on site. It carries its own finish warranty, which a field paint job does not.
- Composite decking
- Decking made from wood fiber and plastic rather than solid lumber. It does not need staining or sealing and will not splinter, at a higher material cost than pressure treated wood.
- Corner board
- The vertical trim that closes the joint where two walls of siding meet at a corner. It is what makes a corner read as a clean line instead of a seam.
- Course
- One horizontal row of siding or shingles. Installers count and measure in courses, which is why an estimate may describe a wall in courses rather than square feet.
- Double hung window
- A window with two sashes in one frame where both the top and bottom can slide. The most common replacement window on Long Island homes.
- Downspoutleader
- The vertical pipe that carries water from the gutter down to grade. Undersized or badly placed downspouts are the usual cause of water sitting against a foundation.
- Drip edge
- A metal flashing along the roof edge that pushes water off the roof and into the gutter instead of letting it run back under the shingles. Code required on new roofs.
- Exposure
- The amount of each siding course or shingle left visible after the next one laps over it. Changing the exposure changes the look of a whole wall, so it is specified before the first course goes up.
- Fascia
- The flat horizontal board at the lower edge of the roof, usually carrying the gutter. Rotted fascia is the most common thing found once old gutters come off.
- Fiber cement
- A siding material made from cement, sand and cellulose fiber. It does not rot, does not feed insects, will not melt, and holds a factory finish. James Hardie is the brand we install.
- Flashing
- Sheet metal installed at any point where a roof or wall changes direction or meets something else, to direct water out rather than in. Most leaks are a flashing failure, not a shingle failure.
- Frieze board
- The trim that runs horizontally where the top of the siding meets the soffit. It finishes the top of a wall the way a corner board finishes the side.
- Full frame replacement
- A window replacement that removes the entire old window including its frame, back to the rough opening. More work than an insert, and the only option when the existing frame is rotted or out of square.
- Gutter apron
- A flashing that bridges the gap between the roof deck and the back of the gutter, so water cannot run behind the gutter and down the fascia.
- HardiePlank
- James Hardie's lap siding product, installed in horizontal courses. The most common Hardie profile on Long Island homes.
- HardieShingle
- James Hardie's shingle and shake style siding, used for a cedar look on gables, dormers and accent walls without the maintenance of real cedar.
- Header
- The structural member spanning the top of a window or door opening, carrying the load from above. Widening an opening means resizing the header.
- Ice and water shield
- A self adhering waterproof membrane applied at eaves, valleys and other vulnerable areas under the shingles. It seals around nails and is what protects a roof during an ice dam.
- Insert replacementpocket replacement
- A window replacement that fits a new window inside the existing frame. Faster and less invasive than full frame, and appropriate only when the existing frame is sound and square.
- Jamb
- The vertical side of a window or door frame. An out of square jamb is why a window that measured correctly still will not close evenly.
- Joist
- One of the repeating horizontal framing members that carries a floor or a deck surface. Joist size and spacing set how far a deck can span and how much it can hold.
- K-style gutter
- The common gutter profile with a flat back and a decorative front face. Holds more water than a half round of the same nominal size.
- Ledger board
- The board that fastens a deck to the house and carries that edge of the deck. Improperly flashed or fastened ledgers are the leading cause of deck failures.
- Line item estimate
- A proposal that prices each component of the work separately instead of giving one lump sum. It is how you can tell what you are paying for, and it is how we quote every job.
- Low-E glass
- Glass with a microscopically thin coating that reflects heat while still passing light. It cuts summer heat gain and winter heat loss, and it slows fading of floors and furniture.
- Permit
- Written approval from your town or village to perform the work, pulled before the job starts and closed out after inspection. Which office issues it depends on your exact village, not just your mailing address.
- Pitchslope
- How steeply a roof rises, written as inches of rise per twelve inches of run, as in 6/12. Pitch determines which roofing materials are permitted and how the job has to be staged.
- Punch list
- The itemized list of remaining small items agreed at the end of a project, worked through before final closeout. Nothing is finished until the punch list is empty.
- Rainscreen
- A deliberate ventilated gap behind the siding that lets any water that gets past the surface drain and dry out. It extends the life of both the siding and the wall behind it.
- Rake
- The sloped edge of a roof at a gable end, and the trim that finishes it. Distinct from the eave, which is the horizontal lower edge.
- Reveal
- The visible width of a trim detail or the gap deliberately left between two materials. Consistent reveals are the difference between finished work and approximately finished work.
- Ridge
- The horizontal line at the top of a roof where two slopes meet. It is capped with ridge shingles and often carries the roof's main vent.
- Ridge vent
- A continuous vent along the ridge that lets hot, moist air leave the attic. It only works if there is matching intake ventilation at the soffits.
- Scope of work
- The written description of exactly what the project includes, and by implication what it does not. Disputes almost always trace back to a scope that was discussed but never written down.
- SHGCsolar heat gain coefficient
- How much solar heat a window lets through, from 0 to 1. A lower number keeps more summer heat out, which matters most on south and west facing walls.
- Soffit
- The underside of a roof overhang, between the wall and the fascia. Usually vented, because the soffit is where attic ventilation takes air in.
- Square
- A roofing unit of measure equal to 100 square feet. Roofs are quoted in squares, so a 24 square roof is about 2,400 square feet of roof surface.
- Starter strip
- The first, hidden course installed at the bottom edge of a roof or wall, which the first visible course laps over. Skipping it leaves the bottom edge unsealed.
- Step flashing
- Individual pieces of flashing woven into the courses where a roof meets a vertical wall, such as alongside a dormer or chimney. A single continuous piece there will leak.
- U-factor
- How readily a whole window conducts heat. Lower is better insulating. Unlike R-value, which runs the other way, so the two are easy to confuse.
- Underlayment
- The water resistant layer installed over the roof deck and under the shingles. It is the roof's second line of defense once wind lifts or a shingle fails.
- Valley
- The internal angle where two roof slopes meet and channel water together. Valleys carry the most water on a roof, so they get the most protection.
- Weather resistive barrierWRB, house wrap
- The membrane applied over the wall sheathing and behind the siding, which sheds bulk water while letting the wall dry. The siding is the raincoat, the WRB is the layer that actually keeps the wall dry.
