- Actual cash value (ACV)
- What your roof was worth at the time of the loss: the cost to replace it minus depreciation for age and wear. A policy that pays ACV pays less for an older roof. See insurance.
- Adjuster
- The person who inspects damage and writes the estimate for an insurance company. A staff or independent adjuster works for the insurer; a public adjuster is hired by the homeowner.
- Appraisal clause
- A policy provision for settling disagreements over the amount of a loss, with each side choosing an appraiser and an umpire deciding where they differ.
- Architectural shingle
- An asphalt shingle with two or more laminated layers, which gives a thicker, dimensional look. Also called dimensional or laminated. The most common roof on Colorado homes.
- Bruise (hail bruise)
- A soft spot in an asphalt shingle where hail fractured the mat underneath. It may look like a dark spot where granules are missing and feels spongy when pressed.
- Class 4
- The highest rating in the UL 2218 impact test, where steel balls up to 2 inches across are dropped on the roofing. Also called impact-resistant. See Class 4 shingles.
- Class A fire rating
- The highest fire-resistance rating for roof coverings under standard fire tests. Important in wildfire-prone parts of Colorado.
- Collateral damage
- Hail or wind marks on things other than the roof covering, such as gutters, downspouts, vents, AC fins, window screens and siding. Adjusters use it to confirm a storm hit the property.
- Counter flashing
- Metal set into or over a wall or chimney that covers the top edge of the step flashing below it, so water can't run behind.
- Cricket (saddle)
- A small peaked structure behind a chimney that splits water around it instead of letting it pool.
- Decking (sheathing)
- The plywood or OSB boards nailed to the rafters that the roof is fastened to. Older homes may have spaced boards instead of solid sheets.
- Deductible
- The part of a covered loss you pay. Colorado policies may use a flat amount or a percentage of the home's insured value for wind and hail.
- Depreciation
- The reduction in value for age and wear. On a replacement-cost policy, part of it is usually held back until the work is done, then paid. That held-back part is recoverable depreciation.
- Drip edge
- An L-shaped metal strip along the eaves and rakes that directs water off the edge and into the gutter instead of behind it.
- Eave
- The lower edge of the roof that overhangs the wall, where gutters attach.
- Fascia
- The board along the eave that the gutter is mounted to.
- Flashing
- Thin metal that seals joints and transitions: walls, chimneys, skylights, valleys and pipes. Many leaks start at flashing, not shingles.
- Granules
- The ceramic-coated mineral grit on asphalt shingles. They protect the asphalt from UV, which is especially strong at Colorado's altitude.
- Hip
- The sloped ridge where two roof planes meet on an outside corner.
- Ice and water shield
- A self-adhering rubberized membrane laid on the decking at eaves, valleys and penetrations. It seals around nails and stops water backed up by ice dams. Ice and water shield is one manufacturer's product name, used generically.
- Ice dam
- A ridge of ice at the eave that forms when heat from the house melts snow higher up and the water refreezes at the cold edge. Water backs up behind it.
- Impact-resistant
- Roofing tested for hail resistance, usually meaning a UL 2218 Class 4 rating. Some insurers offer discounts for it.
- Matching
- Whether insurance pays to replace undamaged sections so new and old materials match. The Colorado Division of Insurance says no Colorado law requires it; it depends on your policy's wording.
- OSB
- Oriented strand board, an engineered wood panel made of compressed wood strands. The most common decking on newer homes.
- Pitch (slope)
- How steep a roof is, written as rise over 12 inches of run, such as 6/12. Steeper roofs cost more to work on.
- Pipe boot
- A rubber or metal collar that seals around a plumbing vent pipe. Rubber boots crack in Colorado sun and are a common small leak.
- Rake
- The sloped edge of a roof at a gable end.
- Recoverable depreciation
- On a replacement-cost policy, the depreciation held back from the first payment and released once the work is complete and documented.
- Replacement cost value (RCV)
- What it costs to replace the roof with like kind and quality today, without subtracting depreciation.
- Ridge
- The horizontal peak where two roof planes meet. Ridge vents and ridge cap shingles go here.
- Soffit
- The underside of the eave overhang. Soffit vents are the usual intake for attic air.
- Square
- The roofing unit of area: 100 square feet. A 2,000-square-foot roof is 20 squares. Quotes and insurance estimates use squares.
- Starter strip
- The first course of shingle material along the eaves and rakes, with adhesive that seals the first visible row down.
- Step flashing
- Small L-shaped metal pieces woven in with each course of shingles where the roof meets a wall.
- Storm chaser
- A contractor who follows hailstorms from state to state, canvassing neighborhoods. Some are legitimate; many leave before warranty problems show up. See hiring a roofer.
- Supplement
- A request to the insurer to add items missed in the original estimate, such as decking, code upgrades or flashing found during the work.
- Tear-off
- Removing the old roofing down to the decking before installing the new roof.
- Test square
- A 10-by-10-foot area marked on a roof slope where an inspector counts hail hits to judge whether damage is widespread enough to replace that slope.
- Three-tab shingle
- A flat, single-layer asphalt shingle with three tabs per strip. Older and thinner than architectural shingles.
- Underlayment
- The water-resistant layer between the decking and the roof covering. Felt paper on older roofs; synthetic sheets on most new ones.
- Valley
- The inside corner where two roof planes meet and water concentrates. A common leak spot.
- Ventilation (intake and exhaust)
- Air moving in at the eaves and out near the ridge. It keeps the attic dry in winter and cooler in summer, and helps prevent ice dams.
- Xactimate
- Estimating software widely used by insurance companies and roofers to price claims line by line.
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