I came across what I believe may be an issue in PA Mock Exam #3 regarding a question about detailing the roof-to-gutter assembly to avoid material reactions (galvanic corrosion).
The correct answer identifies a “cant strip between the shingle and gutter” as the correct detailing method. My understanding is that a cant strip is typically a triangular strip used at the intersection of a roof and a vertical surface (such as a parapet, curb, or chimney) to ease the transition of roofing materials. It is not a standard component of a sloped shingle roof eave detail between the roofing and the gutter.
Because the explanation also states that the cant strip separates materials to mitigate corrosion, I was wondering if the intended term was separator/isolation membrane, eave riser, or another eave detail rather than a cant strip,
Could you please clarify whether the use of “cant strip” in this question is intentional?
@elie Sorry for my delayed response! I looked into this and passed along your question to our team. I’ll let you know when I hear back and will provide further clarification then.
Best,
Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Product Coordinator Black Spectacles
Hi @elie thanks again for bringing this to our attention!
We revised the question to instead refer to this as a ‘plastic shim’ which is probably a more common phrasing. Regardless, I think ‘cant strip’ was still the best choice of those presented - while most people associate cant strips with the intersection between parapet walls and roofing systems, the term simply refers to a narrow, angled strip of material, which could be used in the fashion that our question presented.
It’s important to note that the ARE (as well as our practice questions) are written by licensed architects from around the country, where vernacular terms can differ greatly. I know that can be frustrating, but if you see a term that’s used a bit differently from what you’re used to, try not to get hung up on it and use context clues to come up with the best answer.