Your roof is one of the most important structures in your home. It does so much for your property, including providing shelter, protection from the elements and keeping your home insulated, just to name a few. The crucial role your roof plays in your home means that unlike other areas of your property where you can do a little DIY, do it yourself roof repairs are not a good idea.

When it comes to replacing your roof or doing a roofing repair, it is a costly and difficult process that is best done by the professionals. From the skills needed to carry out the repairs to the necessary equipment and resources, a roof replacement or repair is a complex process. That’s why you need a roofing contractor that you can trust, like the team at GreenPoint Roofing!

Do you speak Roofing?

Seeing as it is such a detailed project that requires a lot of expertise, you might find yourself left in the dark when it comes to understanding the process. Once you’ve contacted a roofing company to do an evaluation, it’s easy to get lost as your roofing specialist goes through all the different steps at lightning speed – it feels like they’re speaking a different language! While they rattle through shingles and seals, you’re still wondering “what is a square in roofing?”.

If this is you, then fear not. At GreenPoint Roofing, we think that all customers should be ‘in the know’ about the services they’re paying for. So on our blog, we give you the answers to commonly asked roofing questions, decode the lingo and provide a whole range of tips and handy guides. Think of us as your roofing support hub!

What is a square in roofing?

Today we’re going to look at roofing squares. This measurement is one of the most commonly used roofing measurements when it comes to working out the total amount of materials you need to cover your roof and roofing costs.

This allows your roofing contractor to work out exactly which resources they’ll need to cover your roof, which also lends itself to budgeting. Using roofing squares allows much more accurate estimates to be made on the materials and costs of your roofing repair, which serves to give you the best deal too!

How to calculate a square in roofing

The process of calculating a roofing square is simpler than you might think. Essentially, a roofing square is equal to 100 square feet. Now, there’s no one set way to get to 100 square feet, so a roofing square can take a variety of shapes.

A roofing square can be a square, or a variation of a rectangular shape – it doesn’t matter how you get to 100 square feet. So this could be:

• 10 feet x 10 feet = 100 square feet or 1 roofing square
• 4 feet x 25 feet = 100 square feet or 1 roofing square
• 5 feet x 20 feet = 100 square feet or 1 roofing square

If you know the overall size of your roof, you can work out how many roofing squares it is too. To do this, you would need the total area of your roof in square feet, and then divide it by 100 to work out how many roofing squares your roof is.

As an example, let’s say your roof is 22,000 square feet in area. You would need to divide that by 100 to work out how many roofing squares your roof covers. So, 22,000/100 = 220 roofing squares. This would give your roofing contractor the information they need to get the exact amount of shingles for your roof.

Meanwhile, if you’re going to get the most common type, which is called the three-tab, or strip shingle, take note that it is usually offered in three bundles per roofing square.

They can also be used for underlayment

The roofing square calculation can also be used to work out how much underlayment you need. This is the layer of material between your roofing material (tiles or shingles) and roof sheathing. The underlayment’s job is to keep moisture out of your home, preventing water damage and mold growth.

Why it’s important to have basic roofing knowledge

We think it’s important to know a thing or two about roofing, even if you’re not doing the job yourself. You will feel a lot better when you have some understanding of what needs to be done and why, so when your roofing contractor uses specific vocabulary, you won’t feel like they’re speaking in another language. When you know what’s going on, you can ensure that you’re being quoted correctly and fairly.

Do you need a roof replacement or roofing repair in Colorado?

If you’re in need of a roofing repair in Colorado, then our team at GreenPoint Roofing would be happy to help you out. We offer a range of services from new roof installations to full-service hail restorations, gutter services and siding repair.

Before we get started, our roofers will provide an entirely free roof inspection and give you a reliable estimate, so you know exactly where you stand before we get started on your roofing project. So if you’re interested, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.