A parapet is the low wall that rises above the roof line at the edge of a flat-roofed building. On Southwestern adobe and Pueblo Revival construction the parapet hides the flat earthen or membrane roof from below. It gives the building its characteristic stepped silhouette and routes rainwater through canales that pierce the wall. Heights typically run two to four feet above the roof deck. In Territorial-style adobes the parapet is capped with a course of fired red brick — the diagnostic Territorial detail. Wikipedia notes that parapets on bridges, terraces, and balconies also serve as fall barriers. Common adobe parapet problems are cracking masonry and water infiltration at the coping.
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