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Roof Flashing and Why is it Important to Maintain It?
Most roofing materials can stay in good condition for an average of 20 years, while some have a lifespan of over 50 years. Taking proper care of your roof and observing a maintenance schedule can increase its durability and help you correct damage. Still, some homeowners focus on only repairing and maintaining the roofing material and ignore other parts like flashings. This neglect eventually affects the integrity of the entire roof and leads to secondary damage.
What is Roof Flashing?
Roof flashing acts as a seal between the joints of your roof. It’s typically made from galvanized sheet metal or aluminum. You might recognize it as the metal plating around the base of your chimney and other areas of your roof, such as skylights and ventilation pipes. The sheets of metal are placed carefully and joined together using soldering.
Flashing can be installed in many ways depending on which area of the roof it’s being used for. There is overlapping step flashing, u-shaped channel flashing to catch water where the roof meets a wall, concealed sill flashing installed beneath windows and doors, and many others. Roof flashing is very versatile and effective.
What Does it Do?
Flashing is designed to keep water out. Wherever the roof is susceptible to leaks, such as the seams, roof valleys and dormer walls, flashing can be installed to shore up the vulnerable area and prevent water from entering. It can also help redirect water toward a drainage path or catch excess water.
Regular Inspection
Loose valley flashings allow water to seep into the roofing material, leading to secondary destruction. Vent pipe models crack due to poor installation and exposure to harsh weather conditions.
Identifying the signs of flashing damage is not always easy because the effects may show after extensive damage occurs. Getting annual roof inspection services from an roofing professional will help detect such issues.
During the inspection, the expert will examine the edges to spot gaps that may leak water. They will then perform flashing maintenance practices to restore proper functioning and allow proper water drainage. For example, they may replace broken, crumbled, and missing flashings. If the damage is minor, the expert may reseal the section and paint it to prevent rusting.
Roof Flashing Damage
As you can imagine, roof flashing gets a lot of wear and tear from rain, hail, high wind, tree limbs, and other hazards. You might notice the edges of the metal starting to warp or show signs of rust. Sometimes the metal will crack or pull away from the roof. Leaks are the most obvious sign of damaged flashing.
Poor installation plays a role in the longevity of roof flashing, but even well-installed flashing will take damage over time. That’s why it’s important to get a professional roof inspection at least once a year and after severe storms. If your flashing is no longer doing its job, water could be penetrating your roofing structure and causing hidden damage. At worst, the moisture could lead to mold and mildew, which degrade the air quality and introduce allergens into your home.
What To Look For When Checking The Flashing
Here is a shortlist of the things you want to check out and examine when checking the flashing. We will also include brief instructions for repair:
Most flashing will have caulk around its edges. This serves as another seal against moisture, but it tends to degrade over time. Look for peeling, cracking, pitted spots, and missing beads. This is probably the most common flashing maintenance job. Naturally, this can be fixed by peeling off the old caulk and applying a new layer.
Roof flashing is most often made of aluminum, which is used for its anti-corrosion properties. That’s a fancy way of saying that it doesn’t rust. Unfortunately, it is not as durable as steel. When it cracks or breaks, you will need to replace the section.
Flashing is attached with nails or screws, and both of these can wiggle themselves loose over time. This happens because of the natural flexing of wood. As it heats and cools, it bends very slightly, as does the attached flashing. If you see any raised nail or screw heads, pound or tighten them down.
Aluminum may not rust, but it can become discolored if it gets dirty. If the flashing has lost most or all of its shine, it is probably due for a good cleaning.
Missing pieces of flashing are a serious problem that can only be fixed with replacement.
Sometimes flashing can peel away from its seal. It might look fine from far away, but it has lost that essential bond between sealer and surface. Add more caulk to fix this one.
How to Maintain Your Roof Flashing
General roof maintenance will also help your flashing last longer. Check out your roof after storms have passed through. Make sure your gutters and downspouts are draining water properly. Don’t allow soggy piles of leaves to sit anywhere on your roof.
Flashing maintenance mostly involves examining your flashing for signs of damage. Look at the edges of the flashing to make sure they are screwed down and sealed tight. Pay special attention to the flashing at the base of your chimney. Sometimes the mortar can become old and crumble away, breaking the watertight seal. If you notice this kind of damage, it’s time to call in a professional.
Conclusion
As you can see, this isn’t a particularly hard matter. Roof flashing doesn’t tend to need a whole lot of maintenance, but it’s still important to understand the basics. Your roof flashing represents an important barrier between the inner part of your home and the elements. As such, a flashing problem can be a very serious one. Even a small leak can cause problems over time.
CALL OR EMAIL US TODAY FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE – 202-276-5004 FAMILY.ROOFING@YAHOO.COM
Most roofing materials can stay in good condition for an average of 20 years, while some have a lifespan of over 50 years. Taking proper care of your roof and observing a maintenance schedule can increase its durability and help you correct damage. Still, some homeowners focus on only repairing and maintaining the roofing material and ignore other parts like flashings. This neglect eventually affects the integrity of the entire roof and leads to secondary damage.
Here is a shortlist of the things you want to check out and examine when checking the flashing. We will also include brief instructions for repair:
Flashing maintenance mostly involves examining your flashing for signs of damage. Look at the edges of the flashing to make sure they are screwed down and sealed tight. Pay special attention to the flashing at the base of your chimney. Sometimes the mortar can become old and crumble away, breaking the watertight seal. If you notice this kind of damage, it’s time to call in a professional.