Patriot Roof Guide
What Sits Under the Shingles on a New Roof
From the street, a roof looks like a single surface. In reality, an asphalt shingle roof is a stack of parts, and each one has a narrow job. Knowing the stack helps you ask better questions before a new roof goes on and helps you read the proposal you are handed.
The deck
The deck is the wood sheathing fastened to the rafters or trusses. Everything else is nailed into it, so it has to be solid and dry. On an older Charlotte house, the deck may be plank boards rather than sheets, which can change how a new roof is fastened.
Underlayment
Underlayment rolls out over the deck before any shingle is placed. Older roofs often used felt paper; many newer roofs use synthetic sheets that are lighter and resist tearing. Either way, its job is to be a second line of defense against water.
Leak barrier in the trouble spots
Some areas see more water than others: the lowest edge of the roof, the valleys where two slopes meet, and the openings around chimneys, vents and skylights. A self-sealing membrane in these spots grips the nails that pass through it and helps keep water out where it gathers.
Metal at the edges
Drip edge is a bent strip of metal along the eaves and rakes. It protects the edge of the deck and guides runoff into the gutter. Flashing does a similar job at walls and chimneys, where the roof surface stops and something vertical begins.
Starter strip and shingles
A starter strip along the edges gives the first row of shingles something to seal to. The shingles then go on in overlapping courses, each one covering the nails of the course below.
Ridge and vents
At the peak, ridge cap shingles cover the joint between the two slopes. Often a continuous vent sits under them, letting warm, moist air out of the attic while intake vents near the eaves let fresh air in.
Why the order matters
Each layer is meant to shed water onto the layer below it, never behind it. When one is lapped the wrong way, water can follow the mistake for years before a stain appears. That is why our installation steps, the Patriot Standard, are written in the order the layers go on.
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