Roofing slate terms
| Roof Features | Explanation |
| Eaves | The Jower edge of a roof |
| Hip | Inclined meeting line of two slopes in a pitched roof forming a salient angle |
| Mitred Hip | A covering of slates cut to form a mitred joint at the hip and laid with soakers |
| Ridge | The apex of a pitched roof |
| Verge | The side of a roof |
| Valley | The meeting point of two slopes |
| Margin | The exposed area of a roofing slate |
| Course | A horizontal row of slates |
| Ribbon Course | A course that has a different margin to the norm on the same roof |
| Diminishing Course | Courses that have margins that decrease from the eaves to the ridge |
| Eaves Course | The first row of full size slates at the eaves |
| Undereaves Course | The course of short s lates bellow the eaves course finished flush with its lower edge, and of a length to give the correct head lap |
| Undercloak | Slates fixed beneath battens at verges |
| Soaker | Small piece of sheet metal, shaped to fit between slates at the joint of the roof surface and a vertical wall, hip or valley |
| Slate Roofing | Explanation |
| Roofing | The upper layer(s) of a roof which provides a weatherproof surface |
| Slating | Laying roofing slates as roofing |
| Fixing | As above |
| Cuttings | Slates cut to meet (usually at a Hip or Valley) |
| Head Nailing | Fixing with nails app. 25mm below the head |
| Centre Nailing | Fixing with nails just above the head of the course below |
| Holing/Drilling | Punching countersunk holes in the slates to allow fixing |
| Back/Face | The upper (visible) surface of the slate (chamfered side) |
| Bed/Underside | The surface laid onto the battens (un-chamfered side) |
