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At Family Roofing, we take great pride in our experience, expertise, quality and customer service. It is our mission to provide excellent workmanship and complete customer satisfaction from start to completion of a project. Our reputation is based on service, safety and quality, regardless of how large or small the job.

 

Importance Of Roof Flashing

The roof remains a sensitive part of a building since it’s exposed to severe weather conditions.  Because of this, it is essential to condition your roof with every option necessary for when incessant rains beat down hard.  Roof flashing is one of the suggestions you’ll often hear with regards to protecting your roof.  But is roof flashing necessary?  Roof flashing is necessary to avoid water damages.  It is a unique roof waterproofing technique installed on roofs with specialized features such as dormers, valleys, and chimneys. It is basically arming your roof with extra protection to deal with water damage brought by leaks.

Roof flashing is a thin material that roofers install to direct water away from certain areas (walls, chimneys, roof valleys) on or near your roof.  On top of the features that some roofs (like gable roofs) come with are extra features or accessories installed on rooftops.  Some of these roof features that require flashing include:

• Chimneys

• Vent pipes

• Skylights

• Roof valleys

• Dormers

• Drip edge

• Sidewalls

Roof flashing can be visible.  You might have noticed a light or dark grey finish that looks like regular shingles surrounding the wall chimney to form a uniformity between the roof and the wall.  The unique purpose of roof flashing is to guide away rainwater and ice that would otherwise leak into the house through the gaps.  These gaps are usually found on the edges around chimneys and dormers.  Roof flashing directs water to flow systematically down the roof and into the awaiting gutters.

Even when a professional roofer skillfully installs a roof that seems perfect around the edges and corners where roof surfaces and walls meet, there is a 90% chance there are tiny unnoticeable gaps on those areas that may leak in water when it will eventually rain.  If a homeowner does not want to take that risk of finding themselves revisiting the job amidst water damage, they should finish off roofing by installing leak barriers in the form of specialized patches to gab future water leaks.

Flashing can come in a variety of forms, too. These include:

• Apron Flashing

Sometimes known as continuous flashing, this is where the section of flashing comes in the form of a single piece of material.  This doesn’t mean that your contractor will use one piece of flashing to cover the whole roof.  That wouldn’t be practical and it has limited ability to expand and contract along with the rest of the house.  Usually, you’ll find this is used to cover just the peak points of the roof slope.

• Step Flashing

Many homes today have more complex architecture than a regular box-shaped building.  There are often vertical surfaces combined with the slopes — this could be chimneys, skylights, decorative features, and even upper stories.  Step flashing is a metal panel that is bent at a 90-degree angle in the center, so it can fit below the roof material and affix securely to the vertical feature.

• Kickout Flashing

As with step flashing, if you have a roof that is attached to a vertical structure, it will need some more specialist consideration.  For instance, at a roof-wall intersection, there is a tendency for water at the intersection to run straight off the roof and run down the wall rather than head to the gutter.  Kickout flashing — which is also known as diverter flashing — directs the running water away from the intersection and into the gutter.

Roof Flashing Types

• Continuous Flashing. This is also known as “apron flashing” because it acts in a similar manner to an apron.  It is a long, single piece of metal that is used to carry the water down to the shingles that lay below.

• Base Flashing. There are some roof features, like chimneys, that require two pieces of flashing.  This is to ensure that the rain always meets a flashing surface to direct it downward.  Not only that, it is notoriously difficult to install flashing around a chimney.

• Counter Flashing. This is placed opposite of base flashing, or above the base flashing.  Counter flashing completes the team with the aforementioned base flashing.

• Step Flashing. This is a rectangular piece of flashing that is bent 90 degrees in the middle.  It is generally used for wall flashing. In this instance, multiple pieces of flashing will be installed as layers with the shingles to make sure that the water flows away from the wall.

• Skylight Flashing. There are some skylight manufacturers that include flashing with their product, but others will require you to create it or purchase it separately.  Knowing which option you have beforehand is helpful.

• Valley Flashing. Any open valleys on your roof have metal flashing in order to protect this area, which is a critical area of the roof.

• Drip Edges. At the edge of the roof, there is a thin metal flashing that allows water to drip off the roof without doing damage to the home or causing a pesky leak that can do further damage to the roof or home.

• Kickout Flashing. Roofing contractors generally need something to bridge the gap where the step flashing comes to an end and where the gutter begins.  This kind of flashing is used to direct water away from the wall and down into the gutter.

There are also a few different roofing materials that you need to be aware of. In the past, this would be lead or materials that were lead-coated. Now, professionals throughout North America have switched to one of three materials.

Roof Flashing Materials

• Aluminum flashing is generally easy for roofers to form and it is also quite lightweight.  There is one thing to note, however: aluminum has to be coated if it is going to be used with masonry and concrete since plain aluminum degrades and reacts when it makes contact with alkaline surfaces.

• Copper roof flashing takes soldering well and is also malleable. Not only that, it is highly durable and tends to have a longer-lasting life.  On the other hand, there is some discoloring into patina, which can vary based on the homeowner.  Copper flashing is routinely found around chimneys.

• Steel flashing is the most popular choice for flashing.  In addition to aesthetic value, it is also malleable and, when galvanized, is corrosion-resistant.

Why Do You Need Flashing?

The need for flashing really comes down to how roofing is designed.  Aside from the various architectural elements that make a home look attractive, the way roofing material is positioned plays a key role in making it an effective feature.  Whether you’re using tiles, shingle, or metal roofing panels, the overlapping approach to installation makes for a well-engineered approach to ensuring rainwater channels down toward the gutters.

Conclusion

Roof flashing is one of the most important aspects of your roof.  It functions as a way to direct rainwater from areas of your roof that would otherwise be vulnerable to leaks and other water damage. As such, there are very few types of roof that don’t require flashing in some form.  While it may seem simple enough to fit this material, positioning and effective sealing is everything — an error can lead to extensive damage to your home.  It’s wise to always seek professional assistance to make certain your flashing is both effective and long-lasting.