Some of the terms in this web site may be new to you. We trust this collection of terms will be helpful. Many thanks to those of you who suggested adding this to our web site!

Break Bulk - non-containerized, palletized ocean freight shipment

Butt - the thick end of a shake or shingle.

CCA Treatment - a pressure impregnated preservative treatment using chromated copper arsenate effective in resisting decay in any wood products by discouraging the growth of fungus, molds, other vegetation or insect attack. 

Check - a split or separation of the wood.

Course - the horizontal layer or row of shakes or shingles in a bundle or on the roof.

Coverage - the area covered by a bundle of shingles or shakes at a given exposure.

Crimps - the collapse of the cells of the wood giving a caved-in appearance.

Cross Grain - the grain runs from the front of the shingle to the back within 3" (75mm) of the length of the shingle in the area 6" (150mm) up from the butt.

Diagonal Grain - the grain does not run parallel to the edge of the shingles. It is a defect if it is slants more than 2" (50mm) side ways in 12" (300mm) of length.

Eave Line - the first row of shingles or shakes at the gutter or horizontal edge of a roof, always doubled up, sometimes tripled. Sometimes referred to as the "starter row".

Edge Grain - the wood is split or sawn at right angles to the annual growth rings. Also called vertical grain.

Exposure - the portion of the shake or shingle exposed to the weather.

Exposure Line - the line created by next row of shingles or shakes.

FCL - full container load ocean shipment.

Feather Tip - an uneven feather-like tip of a shingle or shake caused by improper sawing. 

Flat Grain - the wood is split or sawn with the annual growth rings.

FTL - full truck load road and/or rail shipment

Heartwood - the inner part of a tree not involved in the active life cycle, as opposed to the living sapwood. 

Hip - the convex sloping intersection of two roof sections. The opposite of a "valley".

LCL - less than container load, palletized ocean shipment.

Pack - the number of rows or courses in a bundle (i.e. - 9/9 pack for 24" resawn shakes).

Ridge - the horizontal peak of a roof.

Roof Deck - the main area of the roof.

Roof Slope - also called the pitch, is the ratio of the rise of the roof to the run of the roof, (i.e. - a roof with a 6 foot rise for every 12 foot of run is a 6/12 pitch, or 22.5 degree slope).

Sapwood - the outermost layer of a tree, under the bark, where the sap and nutrients flow in the living tree. Lighter in color and more susceptible to rot and decay than heartwood.

Sidewall - interior or exterior wall covering or cladding.

Tip - the thin end of a shingle.

Valley - the concave sloping intersection of two roof sections. The opposite of a "hip".