Welcome to Family Roofing

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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.

 

What Roof Flashing Material Should You Use?

What Is Roof Flashing?

Roof flashing are thin metal sheets that are installed to protect key parts of your roof that are particularly vulnerable to water penetration. The flashing diverts water away from these spots and protects the area.

Why Is It Important?

Roof flashing is an additional layer of protection that keeps pesky leaks from invading your home.  More specifically, roof flashing is designed for the small cracks and crevices that your roof may not be able to cover.  For example, the small crack between your chimney and the surrounding roofing is a common location.  Without proper flashing, water might be able to slip between the cracks and create puddles in your home.  The moisture, in turn, can eventually cause ceilings to collapse or mold to grow.

Keep in mind that although roof flashing is typically installed during the roofing process, it can also be replaced on it’s own.  Since it is typically made of metal or plastic, flashing can still corrode, rust, come loose, or otherwise be damaged.  In these cases, it is best to call an expert to replace it as soon as possible.

All flashing, however, doesn’t age the same.

Galvanized Steel

Steel is popular in construction because of its affordability, but its susceptibility to corrosion attracts criticism.  To make it more weather-resistant, a protective zinc coating is applied to help delay the formation of rust due to oxidation.  Zinc has a self-healing quality, allowing it to repair the scratches it sustains on its own.

Aluminum

Of all metals, aluminum perhaps offers the most balanced trade-off among durability, malleability and affordability.  Although its need for maintenance is high for certain applications, its winning characteristics make it worth the extra demanding upkeep.

Copper

The industry considers copper a premium material for good reason.  It weathers extremely well and requires no finishing to endure the effects of harsh elements.  Considering that failed flashing is a common cause of leakage, it’s a sound choice to lower your long-term roof storm repair costs.  In terms of aesthetics, it ages gracefully.  Bright, shiny copper forms dark greenish patina with years of exposure to the weather.  If you have a copper roof, matching it with flashing of the same material helps highlight its distinctive character.

There’s a lot more to your roof than the shingles you see walking down the street.  It’s a combination of different materials and components that come together to protect you and your family from the elements.  One of the most crucial parts of your roof is its flashing.  Without roof flashing, you, your family, valuables, and yes, even your wallet are at risk due to roof leaks.  Usually, you wouldn’t have to worry about this.  But unfortunately, some roofing contractors take advantage of homeowners by completely leaving it off their estimate to lower their prices.

How can you stop this from happening to you?  The best way is to know the common types of roof flashing and where they go on your roof.

The common types of roof flashing

Roof flashing is a thin metal material that roofers install to direct water away from certain areas (walls, chimneys, roof valleys) of your roof.  It’s one of the most crucial roofing materials every roof needs to have.  With that in mind, there are a few different types of roof flashing that go in specific areas on your roof. The most common types are step flashing, counter flashing, and apron flashing.

Step flashing

Step flashing is primarily used against the sides of walls and chimneys.  It works by placing a piece of metal (flashing) under every shingle installed right up against the side of a wall to block the water from running down into it.

That’s why the term “step” is used in step flashing.  You do it step by step by installing a shingle, then a piece of flashing, then another shingle, then a piece of flashing until the wall is completely protected.

Counter flashing

Counter flashing is used on walls and chimneys like step flashing.  Unlike step flashing, the piece of flashing is sawed into an existing mortar joint, and the metal comes over the top of the brick.  Like step flashing, counter flashing is sometimes installed in a step-by-step method. But if it’s flashing you can actually see, it’s counter flashing.

 

Apron flashing

Apron flashing is used at the base of a wall or penetration. It’s shaped like an L and can be up to 14 feet in length to fit the base of the penetration.  It’s also used around dormers to prevent water from getting into your windows.

 

Three things you need to know about roof flashing

Now you know the common types of roof flashing. But after learning the types, there are still a few things you need to know about roof flashing in general.   Let’s get to the 3 things homeowners need to know about roof flashing.

1. Roof flashing might not be replaced during a roof replacement.  During the roof replacement process, most of your materials and components will be replaced.  However, roof flashing is a little different.

When your local roofing contractor comes out to give you a quote for your roof replacement, they inspect your roof flashing.  During their inspection, they’ll check your roof flashing for rusting and if the integrity of the metal is still strong.  If your contractor doesn’t see rusting and the metal’s integrity is still holding up, then your roof flashing won’t have to be replaced during your replacement.  On the other hand, if it’s damaged, rusted, or if you’re upgrading from a 3-tab

2. Roof flashing comes in a few different metal options.  The common types of metals used for roof flashing are aluminum, steel, or copper.  It’s completely up to you which metal you choose for roof flashing.  If you’re looking for a clean look that fits most budgets, go with the most common type of metal used for roof flashing today, steel.

If you want an upgraded look, copper looks great and will live longer but will cost you more upfront.   Before deciding, talk to your local roofing contractor about which type of metal will give you the look you want while staying within your budget.

3. It’s crucial to maintain your roof flashing.  Your roof flashing should outlive the original roof it was installed on, no matter what kind of metal is used.  With it living longer than the roof, it’s crucial to have your roof flashing inspected as part of annual roof maintenance.  This allows your roofing contractor to ensure the flashing is doing its job and the metal’s integrity is holding strong.

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; in this case, here 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.