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Flashing Damage: Leaks Waiting to Happen

Because flashing protects some of the most vulnerable parts of your roof, any damage to flashing is cause for concern.  When flashing cracks or is bent upward, moisture is able to run inside to the roof seams.  This poses an especially large problem during heavy rains.

While your roof is protected by underlayment (a membrane or roofing felt), some roofing materials will deteriorate if faced with ongoing moisture.  This will cause a leak to form. Moisture damage is particularly annoying because it may run inside the flashing and create damage far away from the entry point.  A full inspection of flashing is often needed to pinpoint the leak’s origin.

Signs of Roof Flashing Failure

The clearest indication that flashing is underperforming is by water leaking into the house.  Of course, it is desirable for any homeowner to catch the issue before leaking occurs.  Below are some specific outside signs for the homeowner to look for that may imply flashing that is not protecting your home:

• The shingles are curling, broken, damaged, have lost granulation, or are missing (which denotes that water is draining under the shingles).

• The asphalt or wood shingles are moldy, decaying, or splitting.

• Patches, cracks, or tears in the roof.

• The flashing itself tears or buckles around the roof features. When this happens, chimneys, specifically, will have missing, damaged, or stained brick.

• The sealant, if present, is crumbling or missing. Or nails, if used in place of sealant, are missing. Both circumstances will make the flashing loose.

• The fascia is decaying or stained.

• The gutters are rusting, sagging, bending, or have leaky seams. Gutters may even become clogged.

The homeowner can inspect the inside of the house as well.

• In the case that the roof has patches, cracks, or tears, the homeowner may also find water spots, mold, damaged rafters, or leaks in the attic.

• Moisture marks and/or brown, yellow, or gray stains are present along the walls or ceiling.

• An increase in energy cost may denote the roof ventilation is compromised.

How to Repair Roof Flashing

Before getting into the specifics of various flashing repairs, it should be mentioned that it is wisest for the homeowner to have all previous flashing taken off before having new roof flashing installed.  If only parts of the old or damaged flashing are replaced, it will likely fail before the new flashing lifespan is over.

However, it is possible for professional roofers to salvage flashing that is still intact when removing the old or damaged pieces. The roofer will have to first inspect the flashing to assure it will continue doing its job efficiently; then, if finding that some flashing pieces are still useful, the roofer will attempt to remove the damaged flashing without damaging the rest.

Not all types of flashing are easily removable without causing damage to each of the flashing pieces.  In most cases, it makes more sense to remove the entire row or line of flashing and install fresh flashing.  The following is designed to help you understand what goes into flashing repair. For the homeowner considering installing or repairing the flashing him/herself, see the subsection below.

Flashing can be repaired in a few steps:

1. The shingles surrounding the flashing should be gently lifted so as to not be damaged.

2. The flashing needs to be removed, whether the homeowner decides on only pulling off damaged flashing or all flashing. This can be done by carefully chiseling away the sealant or taking out the nails.

3. If the flashing is being repaired before leaking occurs, the roof substructure should not be damaged under the flashing or shingles. However, it would be a necessary precaution to inspect it to ensure that no damage was done. The roof damage would have to be repaired before the flashing itself.

While flashing damage is serious, it is also simple for experienced roofing contractors to fix.