Homeowners that strive to make sure their households remain in excellent condition with each season that passes must learn to take good care of their roofing systems as part of property maintenance. While it’s nice to think about the aesthetic purpose of your roof, you must also consider its functional features.
Many residential and commercial roofs have valleys. A roof valley is a channel that allows a roof’s design to move at a different angle or direction. It often comes in V or W-shaped metal pieces placed on top of the roof valley to lead rainwater that could build up off your roof.
To consider your roofing system complete, you require roof valleys to serve their purpose while you guarantee to watch over them regularly as a way of maintenance. Keep reading below to find out the types of roof valleys to improve your roofing and keep you and your family safe no matter the season.
This Article Contains
Common Types of Roof Valleys
Open Valleys
If your roof installation has V or W-shaped metal pieces attached to the middle of its valley, you have an open roof valley. The slope of the roof plane only makes it a few inches before it hits the centerline to keep the valley open.
Depending on your local area’s building policies, the metal pieces that form the V or W shape can be made from materials like copper, galvanized, aluminum, steel-coated, or zinc alloy. The standard recommendation for home roofings is to get a 28-gauge galvanized or steel-coated valley.
As part of managing your roof valley, you should keep moisture away from it as much as possible, and you can easily do that by covering the metal with a water and ice shield. The sloping plane of your roof does not affect the waterproof lining on either side to keep the valley free and open to prevent water from staying on your roof.
Closed Roof Valleys
On the other hand, a closed roof valley involves uninterrupted roof shingles that go over the valley to prevent flashing from becoming noticeable. However, that doesn’t stop homeowners from still choosing metal valleys for their roofs despite getting closed roof valleys.
While often confusing, to the point that people interchange open roof valleys with closed roof valleys, their names matter less than understanding how the types of roof valleys work. Knowing how you can apply them to your home or building is necessary to avoid safety risks and issues.
Moreover, being well-informed about the details that come with installing roof valleys is helpful for homeowners hoping to get the best roof valley style to complete their roofing system. Due to the costs of installing closed roof valleys and the aesthetic design they provide, you can select two kinds of options and hire a roofing company to perform the procedure.
Kinds of Closed Roof Valleys
Closed roof valleys involve different types to suit every homeowner’s needs. You must remember that your roof forms a slope towards its valleys, so the water it receives from rain or snow weather conditions happens in the valley. Over time, the moving water can damage your roof shingles quicker than your field shingles, which complete a massive portion of your roof. You can choose from the following kinds of closed roof valleys for your property:
Woven Valleys
Woven valleys involve roof shingles that roofers attach traditionally. If you take a look at your roofing system and find the part where its sloping planes connect, the shingles are connected in a way that their seams go well with the shape of the roof.
The roof shingles are tucked into the woven valley, so a contractor doesn’t have to utilize nails anywhere near the middle portion of the valley. For many situations, it’s much better for woven valleys to comprise traditional strip shingles.
Take note that if the person installing your woven valleys does not perform an excellent job at placing the woven valley, your roof shingles could lead to unattractive bumps and lumps. As a result, it will leave your house with an unusual-looking roof that will affect your property’s appearance.
Cut Valleys
A cut valley is another type of closed roofing valley that provides your home with a sleeker and cleaner look after the installation process is complete. It’s a more practical option because one roof slope appears steeper compared to the other one.
A roofing contractor installs a cut valley by positioning the shingles over the lower adjacent roof slope, allowing them to let the cover of the roof expand to the valley line. Once they move to the higher slope, they place the shingles over it, although they have to cut them a few inches shorter than the centerline of the roof valley.
Doing so prevents the chances of puddles building up and leaks occurring on your roof. When the water naturally flows from the steeper slope down to the lower slope shingles, you and your family won’t have a problem dealing with outdoor water due to rain or snow.
California Cut Valley
A California cut valley is a kind of cut valley that works quite differently. Rather than take the higher layer over the valley and cut it parallel once it reaches the centerline of the valley, a roofer will place several shingles vertically down the valley.
That way, the edge that contains nails only makes it past the centerline. Afterward, the installation involves overlaying the second layer of roof shingles and offsetting a couple of inches so that only the tip portion of it can touch the valley.
When you opt for any kind of closed roof valley over an open valley, there could be a higher chance of your roof installation failing depending on their application procedure. If your contractor does a lousy job cutting the shingles and focuses only on finishing the job on time, you can expect problems to arise. It’s crucial to hire a reliable roofer who will take their time to perform the installation correctly and make sure they have the experience and skills to back them up.
Conclusion
Selecting the proper roofing valley for your home is part of acquiring a reliable roofing system to keep your place intact for the years to come. Whether you need stable and durable roofing for your home, establishment, or business, it will be best to depend on professional roofing contractors to work for you. They can help you decide whether you require an open valley or a closed roof valley to ensure you won’t have roof problems. Similarly, they can also perform roof inspections regularly to prevent issues from arising.
Are you looking for a residential roof replacement in Raleigh? Southern Premier Roofing offers roofing, siding, and gutter solutions for our clients in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Fayetteville, NC, as well as Boise ID. Get in touch with us today to request a quote!
