South Carolina Roofing Contractor Examination

Under OSHA 1926.501, at what height above a lower level must employees performing roofing work on unprotected sides and edges be protected from falling?

• A4 feet (1.2 m)
• B6 feet (1.8 m)
• C10 feet (3.0 m)
• D15 feet (4.6 m)

OSHA 1926 Subpart M defines a low-slope roof as a roof having a slope:

• ALess than 2:12
• BLess than 3:12
• CLess than or equal to 4:12
• DLess than or equal to 6:12

When mechanical equipment is not being used, how far from the roof edge must an OSHA warning line be erected for low-slope roofing work?

• ANot less than 6 feet (1.8 m)
• BNot less than 4 feet (1.2 m)
• CNot less than 10 feet (3.1 m)
• DNot less than 15 feet (4.6 m)

A built-up crew is running a gravel spreader on a low-slope roof. Under OSHA 1926.502(f), where must the warning line be placed relative to the direction of mechanical-equipment travel?

• A6 feet from every edge, regardless of travel direction
• B10 feet from every edge
• C15 feet from the leading edge and 6 feet from the sides
• DNot less than 6 feet from the edge parallel to travel and not less than 10 feet from the…

On a low-slope roof, OSHA 1926.501(b)(10) permits a safety-monitoring system used alone — without a warning line — only when:

• AThe roof pitch is 6:12 or less and no more than eight workers are on the roof
• BThe roof is 50 feet (15.25 m) or less in width
• CThe building is two stories or less
• DThe work is limited to tear-off of existing membrane

Which set of criteria matches OSHA 1926.502(f) for a warning-line system?

• ALine height 39 to 45 inches, tensile strength 200 pounds, flagged at 10-foot intervals
• BLine height 42 inches plus or minus 3 inches, tensile strength 5,000 pounds, no flagging…
• CLowest point including sag not less than 34 inches and highest point not more than 39 inc…
• DLine height 36 inches, tensile strength 16 pounds, flagged only at corners

A steep asphalt-shingle roof (8:12) is 28 feet above grade. Which fall-protection arrangement is acceptable under OSHA 1926.501(b)(11)?

• AGuardrail systems with toeboards, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems
• BA warning line 6 feet from the eave plus a safety monitor
• CA safety monitor alone, because the roof is less than 50 feet wide
• DA controlled-access zone with caution tape at the rake

Unless a qualified person designs the complete system with a safety factor of at least two, an OSHA personal-fall-arrest anchorage must be capable of supporting at least how much load per attached employee?

• A1,800 pounds (8 kN)
• B5,000 pounds (22.2 kN)
• C3,000 pounds (13.3 kN)
• D200 pounds (890 N)

In roofing takeoff practice, including Atcheson's Roofing Construction and Estimating, one roofing square equals:

• A100 square feet of roof surface
• B10 square feet of roof surface
• C144 square feet of roof surface
• DOne bundle of three-tab shingles

A simple gable roof has a rectangular plan of 40 feet by 60 feet and a 6:12 slope. Using the 6:12 slope factor of 1.118, what is the roof surface area before waste?

• A2,400 square feet
• B2,540 square feet
• C2,683 square feet
• D3,394 square feet

Per 2021 IBC Section 1507.2.1, asphalt shingles shall be fastened to:

• ASpaced sheathing with 1-inch gaps, same as wood shakes
• BSolidly sheathed decks
• COpen steel purlins at 5 feet on center
• DA gravel-surfaced built-up roof used as a nailing base

In a low-slope roof over a conditioned building in a cold or mixed climate, where is a vapor retarder placed?

• AOn top of the membrane as a sacrificial traffic sheet
• BBetween the flood coat and the gravel
• COn the warm side of the insulation, typically on or just above the deck, so interior mois…
• DVapor retarders are never used under single-ply membranes

What is the primary reason NRCA membrane assemblies place a cover board over rigid foam insulation before a fully adhered single-ply?

• ATo provide a stable, puncture-resistant substrate for adhesion and to protect the foam fr…
• BTo replace the need for a vapor retarder in every climate
• CTo increase the finished roof slope from 1/8:12 to 1/2:12 without tapered insulation
• DTo serve as the finished waterproofing layer if the membrane is delayed

A steel-deck roof is essentially dead-level. To meet the IBC 1/4:12 design-slope requirement for a new built-up or single-ply membrane, the roofing contractor should:

• ARely on the membrane's inherent drainage; no slope is required on recover jobs
• BInstall a flood coat of Type I dead-level asphalt and omit drains
• CIncrease fastener density in the field of the roof
• DInstall tapered insulation (or a structural slope) that produces not less than 1/4:12 to…

During a recover survey, several polyiso boards are found saturated under a failing membrane. The correct action before installing a new roof is to:

• ALeave the wet boards in place and cover them with a new mechanically attached membrane so…
• BRemove the wet insulation and any deteriorated deck, and replace them with dry materials…
• CPerforate the wet boards and flood-coat them with hot asphalt to drive the moisture out
• DAdd a second layer of wet insulation to average the moisture content

When mechanically attaching insulation or a base sheet to a steel roof deck, fasteners must engage:

• AThe bottom flange of every flute so the screw is hidden
• BOnly the side laps of the deck panels
• CThe top flanges of the deck, in the pattern required by the tested assembly
• DA wood nailer laid loosely in the flutes

Before adhering insulation or a membrane to a new structural-concrete roof deck, the installer should:

• AConfirm the deck is sufficiently dry, clean, and primed if the manufacturer requires prim…
• BSaturate the slab with water so the asphalt will foam and key into the concrete
• CApply the first ply while bleed water is still on the surface
• DSkip primer because concrete is always considered a nailable deck

A rectangular building is 50 feet by 80 feet. The roof is a simple gable at 4:12 (slope factor 1.054). Using a 10 percent waste factor, how many squares of underlayment should be ordered?

• A40 squares
• B42 squares
• C44 squares
• D47 squares

Which statement correctly distinguishes a nailable roof deck from a non-nailable roof deck?

• AAny deck that can hold a screw is nailable, including bare structural concrete
• BNailable decks (wood sheathing, nailable lightweight concrete, wood plank) accept nails o…
• CSteel decks are nailable and concrete decks are nailable if they are at least 2 inches th…
• DNon-nailable decks cannot receive any roof covering

Ponding water on a low-slope roof most often indicates which substrate or drainage problem?

• AInadequate slope to drain, blocked drains, or missing crickets on the upslope side of cur…
• BAn ice barrier that was extended more than 24 inches inside the wall line
• CUse of Type IV instead of Type III asphalt
• DInstallation of a cover board under the membrane

What is the minimum roof slope on which 2021 IBC Section 1507.2.2 permits asphalt shingles?

• A1/4:12
• B1:12
• C2:12
• D4:12

For asphalt shingles on a 3:12 slope, 2021 IBC requires:

• ANo underlayment if self-sealing shingles are used
• BDouble underlayment application
• CA built-up roof under the shingles
• DSpaced sheathing and no underlayment

IBC 1507.2.6 requires asphalt strip shingles to have not fewer than how many fasteners per shingle, unless the manufacturer requires more?

• AFour fasteners per strip shingle (two per individual shingle)
• BTwo fasteners per strip shingle
• CSix fasteners per strip shingle in all wind zones
• DOne fastener at each end only

Which fastener specification matches 2021 IBC 1507.2.5 for asphalt shingles?

• A6d common nails, uncoated, 1 inch long
• BStaples of any gage with a 1/4-inch crown
• CDrywall screws with a 5/16-inch head
• DGalvanized, stainless-steel, aluminum, or copper roofing nails, minimum 12-gage shank, mi…

Where an ice barrier is required by IBC 1507.1.2, it shall extend from the lowest edges of the roof surfaces to a point not less than:

• A12 inches up the roof from the eave fascia
• B24 inches inside the exterior wall line of the building
• C36 inches beyond the ridge
• DThe first course of shingles only

Per 2021 IBC 1507.2.8.3, how is drip edge installed relative to underlayment at eaves and rakes?

• ADrip edge over underlayment at both eaves and rakes
• BDrip edge under underlayment at both eaves and rakes
• CUnderlayment over the drip edge at eaves; drip edge over the underlayment at rake edges
• DDrip edge is optional if a gutter is installed

A square of standard three-tab asphalt shingles is typically packaged as:

• ATwo bundles
• BThree bundles
• CFive bundles
• DOne roll, 36 inches by 36 feet

A simple gable roof is 40 feet by 60 feet in plan, 6:12 (factor 1.118), with 10 percent waste. How many bundles of three-tab shingles (3 bundles per square) should be ordered?

• A72 bundles
• B81 bundles
• C84 bundles
• D90 bundles

A three-tab job will use 28 squares. Each shingle is 36 inches long with a 5-inch exposure (80 shingles per square) and is fastened with 4 nails. How many nails are required for the field shingles, ignoring starter, hip, and ridge?

• A2,240 nails
• B6,720 nails
• C8,960 nails
• D13,440 nails

Why is a starter course required at the eave of an asphalt-shingle roof?

• ATo seal the eave cutouts or joints of the first regular course and to provide adhesive an…
• BTo replace ice barrier in every climate
• CTo create the 1/4:12 drainage slope required by IBC
• DTo allow the first course to be installed with only two nails

In a closed-cut valley on an asphalt-shingle roof, the correct sequence is:

• ALeave the valley lining exposed for the full width and stop both shingle fields 2 inches…
• BWeave every course from both sides through the valley
• CRun the first slope's shingles through the valley, then lay the second slope through and…
• DOmit valley lining whenever ice barrier is used anywhere on the roof

For an open valley lined with metal under IBC 1507.2.8.2, the metal valley lining shall be not less than:

• A12 inches wide
• B24 inches wide
• C8 inches wide
• D36 inches of roof cement only, with no metal

In a high-wind area where the shingle manufacturer and the wind listing require a six-nail pattern, using only the IBC four-nail minimum will most likely:

• AStill meet the listing because IBC 1507.2.6 overrides the manufacturer
• BBe acceptable if the nails are 2 inches longer than specified
• CBe acceptable on slopes of 4:12 or greater
• DFail the manufacturer's wind warranty and the tested assembly, even though four nails is…

What is the IBC minimum slope for wood shingles?

• A3:12
• B2:12
• C4:12
• D1/4:12

What is the IBC minimum slope for wood shakes?

• A2:12
• B3:12
• C4:12
• D6:12

Between courses of wood shakes, IBC 1507.9 requires interlayment that complies with:

• AASTM D1970 self-adhered ice barrier on every course
• BASTM D226, Type I
• CA full layer of 90-mil EPDM
• DNo interlayment; shakes are laid dry to the weather

What is the IBC minimum slope for slate shingles?

• A2:12
• B2-1/2:12
• C3:12
• D4:12

What is the IBC minimum slope for clay and concrete tile?

• A2-1/2:12 (2.5:12)
• B1:12
• C4:12 only
• D1/4:12

On a clay-tile roof over solid sheathing, how are the tiles typically held to the deck in accordance with IBC 1507.3 and NRCA steep-slope practice?

• AGravity only; tiles are stacked dry with no fasteners once the slope exceeds 4:12
• BA full mopping of Type I dead-level asphalt under every tile
• CCorrosion-resistant fasteners through the tile nail holes, or wire ties / battens as requ…
• DConstruction adhesive on the nose of each tile and no mechanical fasteners

Hip and ridge cap shingles on a steep asphalt roof should be installed so that:

• AThey are laid in a single unfastened strip from eave to ridge
• BEach cap laps the one below, is fastened with nails long enough to penetrate the sheathin…
• CThey replace the need for ridge vent or ridge flashing
• DThey are set in a full bed of roof cement with no nails

The standard weather exposure for a common 12-inch-wide three-tab asphalt shingle is:

• A5 inches
• B2 inches
• C8 inches
• D12 inches

A hip roof has a rectangular plan of 40 feet by 40 feet and a 6:12 slope (factor 1.118). Using a 15 percent waste factor for the hips and ridges, how many squares of shingles should be ordered?

• A16 squares
• B18 squares
• C20 squares
• D21 squares

Underlayment for asphalt shingles on a slope of 4:12 or greater is applied:

• AVertically from ridge to eave with no side laps
• BShingle fashion, parallel to and starting from the eave, with laps as required by IBC 150…
• CIn a single sheet from rake to rake with the printed side down
• DOnly over the hips and valleys

The IBC double-underlayment method for low-slope asphalt shingles begins with which starter strip?

• AA 6-inch strip of ice barrier at the ridge only
• BA 12-inch strip of metal valley lining at each rake
• CA minimum 19-inch-wide strip of underlayment felt parallel to and starting at the eaves,…
• DTwo layers of 90-pound roll roofing torch-applied to the entire deck

Asphalt shingles installed under IBC 1507.2.4 shall comply with which ASTM specification?

• AASTM D3462
• BASTM D4637
• CASTM D6878
• DASTM D312