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There should be small gaps between your roof and the walls of your home, and other buildings. These small gaps let building materials shift, expand, and contract with weather and other outside forces, and they prevent moisture from wicking down walls from roofing and gutter systems. Without these strategic gaps, your home’s exterior and its finishes can sustain water damage, decay, peel, delaminate, and crack. However, there is a fine line between a smart gap and a problematic gap—all  gaps should be small, intentional, and covered or filled in with foam insulation to prevent pests from using them as access points.

The principal, common, and auxiliary rafters are the most frequently used types of rafters. Principal rafters are large and typically appear toward the edges of the roof. Common rafters are smaller than principal rafters. Some people may use a mix of common and principal rafters. The auxiliary rafter is not common, but it provides extra reinforcement for a principal rafter on a large building.

Furring strips reduce heat transfer to your home. Unlike materials like wood roof shakes, metal panels have a high heat conductivity and will readily pass heat to the materials underneath. If that material is your roof deck, you’ll notice hotter temperatures in your living space, especially during the summer. Furring strips add a layer of air insulation to reduce that heat transfer.

Whether homeowner’s insurance covers repairs for a leaking roof depends on the cause of the leak. For example, it typically covers the leak in the case of a sudden or accidental event (think: a tree falling on your roof during a storm). However, if the leak starts because you haven’t kept up on the maintenance or your roof is reaching the end of its life span, then insurance usually does not cover it.