Glossary of Roofing and Waterproofing Terms
F
Fabric: a woven cloth or material of organic or inorganic filaments, threads, or yarns used for reinforcement in certain membranes and flashings.
Factory Mutual Research Corporation (FMRC): (commonly referred to as "FM") a research and testing organization that classifies roofing components and assemblies for their fire, traffic, impact (hail), weathering, and wind-uplift resistance for four major insurance companies
in the United States.
Factory Seam: a splice/seam made by the manufacturer during the assembly of sections of materials into large sheets.
Fading: any lightening of initial color.
Fallback: a reduction in the softening point temperature of asphalt that occurs when asphalt is heated for prolonged periods at elevated temperature. (See Softening Point Drift.)
Fascia: a vertical or steeply sloped roof or trim located at the perimeter of a building. Typically, it is a border for the low-slope roof system that waterproofs the interior portions of the building.
Fasteners: any of a wide variety of mechanical securement devices and assemblies, including nails, screws, cleats, clips, and bolts, which may be used to secure various components of a roof assembly.
Feathering Strips: tapered wood filler strips placed along the butt ends of old wood shingles to create a relatively smooth surface when reroofing over existing wood shingle roofs. Referred to in some regions of the country as "horse feathers" or leveling strips.
Felt: a flexible sheet manufactured by the interlocking of fibers through a combination of mechanical work, moisture, and heat. Roofing felts may be manufactured principally from wood pulp and vegetable fibers (organic felts), asbestos fibers (asbestos felts), glass fibers Fiberglass
felts or ply sheet), or polyester fibers.
Felt Machine (Felt Layer): a mechanical device used for applying bitumen and roofing felt or ply sheet simultaneously.
Ferrule: a small metal sleeve placed inside a gutter at the top. A spike is nailed through the gutter into the fascia board to hold the gutter in place. The ferrule acts as a spacer in the gutter to maintain its original shape.
Fiberglass Insulation: blanket or rigid board insulation, composed of glass fibers bound together with a binder, faced or unfaced, used to insulate roofs and walls. Rigid boards usually have an asphalt and kraft paper facer.
Field of the Roof: the central or main portion of a roof, excluding the perimeter and flashing.
Field Seam: a splice or seam made in the field (not factory) where overlapping sheets are joined together using an adhesive, splicing tape, or heat- or solvent-welding.
Filler: a relatively inert ingredient added to modify physical characteristics.
Fillet: a heavy bead of waterproofing compound or sealant material generally installed at the point where vertical and horizontal surfaces meet; the desired effect to take out the 90° angle at the base of a vertical flashing.
Film: a membrane or sheeting having nominal thickness not greater than 10 mils.
Film Thickness: the thickness of a membrane or coating. Wet film thickness is the thickness of a coating as applied; dry film thickness is the thickness after curing. Film thickness is usually expressed in mils (thousandths of an inch).
Fin: a term used to describe a deck surface condition. A sharp raised edge (generally in concrete) capable of damaging a roof membrane or vapor retarder.
Fine Mineral-Surfacing: water-insoluble, inorganic material, more than 50 percent of which passes through a No. 35 sieve. Used on the surface of various roofing materials and membranes to prevent sticking.
Fire Resistance: the ability of a building component to act as a barrier to the spread of fire and confine it to the area of origin.
Fishmouth: (also referred to as an Edge Wrinkle) (1) a half-cylindrical or half-conical shaped opening or void in a lapped edge or seam, usually caused by wrinkling or shifting of ply sheets during installation; (2) in shingles, a half-conical opening formed at a cut edge.
Flaking: detachment of a uniform layer of a coating or surface material, usually related to internal movement, lack of adhesion, or passage of moisture.
Flame Retardant: a substance which is added to a polymer formulation to reduce or retard its tendency to burn.
Flame Spread: Per ASTM E 84, a measure of relative combustibility. The flame spread of a tested material is rated relative to asbestos cement board Flame spread = 0) and red oak flooring Flame spread = 100).
Flammability: the characteristics of a material to burn or support combustion.
Flange: the projecting edge of a rigid or semi-rigid component, such as a metal edge flashing flange, skylight flange, flashing boot, structural member, etc.
Flash Point: the lowest temperature of a liquid at which it gives off vapors sufficient to form an ignitable mixture with air near its surface.
Flashing: components used to weatherproof or seal the roof system edges at perimeters, penetrations, walls, expansion joints, valley, drains, and other places where the roof covering is interrupted or terminated. For example, membrane base flashing covers the edge of the field membrane, and
cap flashings or counterflashings shield the upper edges of the base flashing.
Flashing Cement: as used by the roofing industry, an ASTM D 2822 Type II roof cement that is a trowelable mixture of solvent-based bitumen and mineral stabilizers that may include asbestos or other inorganic or organic fibers. Generally, flashing cement is characterized as vertical-grade,
which indicates it is intended for use on vertical surfaces. (See Asphalt Roof Cement and Plastic Cement.)
Flashing Collar: (sometimes referred to as a Roof Jack or Flashing Boot) an accessory flashing used to cover and/or seal soil pipe vents and other penetrations through the roof.
Flat Lock: a method of interlocking metal panels in which one panel edge is folded back on top of itself and the other panel is folded under, after which the two panels are hooked together.
Fleece: mats or felts composed of fibers (usually non-woven polyester fibers), often used as a membrane backer.
Flood (Pour) Coat: the surfacing layer of bitumen into which surfacing aggregate is embedded on an aggregate-surfaced built-up roof. A flood coat is generally thicker and heavier than a glaze coat, and is applied at approximately 45-60 pounds per square (2-3 kilograms per meter).
Flood Test: the procedure where a controlled amount of water is temporarily retained over a horizontal surface to determine the effectiveness of the waterproofing.
Fluid-Applied Elastomer: a liquid elastomeric material that cures after application to form a continuous waterproofing membrane.
FM: see Factory Mutual Research Corporation.
Foam Stop: the roof edge treatment upon which SPF is terminated.
Force: an action that changes or tends to change the state of rest or motion.
FPL: Forest Products Laboratory
Framed Opening: an opening in a wall or roof of a building, surrounded by structural framing, usually for field installed accessories such as skylights or ventilators.
Froth Pack: a term used to describe small, disposable aerosol cans that contain SPF components. Two component packs are available to do small repairs for sprayed polyurethane foam-based roofs.
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