What Is Roof Sheathing

The trusses and beams of the roof give the roof its initial pitch and structure and then the sheathing is applied so the actual underlayment and roof covering can be applied.

What is roof sheathing.

Roof sheathing attaches to the surface of the rafters or trusses to form the structural skin of the roof. Roof sheathing is the material that goes on top of your roofing structure including the trusses and beams that the roofing system is constructed on. Similar to exterior wall wood sheathing roof sheathing includes plywood oriented strand board and waferboard. When one slope is completely sheathed pop a chalk line down any slope edge as in a hip roof that needs to be cut at an angle.

It spans the rafters to support the roofing and in the case of panel sheathing such as plywood or osb it acts as a diaphragm with the walls to resist horizontal loads. Your roofer will attach your shingles to these squares or planks of wood. Most houses contain a weak link in the connection of the roof sheathing to the rafters or roof trusses making them vulnerable to loss of roof sheathing in severe winds but solutions to this. To stabilize the rafters support the roofing material and hold the entire roof together roof sheathing is installed.

Roof sheathing also known as roof decking is a strong layer of wood boards that are fixed to your roof s joists and trusses. Roof sheathing basics the skeleton of a roof is formed with rafters or trusses generally spaced 16 inches or 24 inches apart from the center of one rafter to the center of the next. Osb is lightweight relatively inexpensive and strong enough to resist bending or breaking should someone walk on the roof. In the u s roof sheathing is almost always composed of wood usually osb oriented strand board or plywood.

Sheath one slope of the roof at a time ripping the top course to the needed width at the ridge.