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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.
WHY IS ROOF FLASHING SO IMPORTANT?
Roof flashing plays a critical role in the integrity of your roof. It secures joints in your roof and places that tend to receive a lot of water. Roof flashing redirects water from vulnerable areas of the roof and into gutters. Flashing plays an important role in preventing leaks. Roofs are meant to keep elements out of your home or business. They offer protection for your family or employees. Modern roofs are built to last anywhere from 15 years to a lifetime. However, every roof can be subject to weak points, such as leaking. This is where roof flashing comes to play.
The most vulnerable parts of a roof are joints and penetration. What is a joint? It is the part where two slopes meet. Most homes and businesses have joints and valleys on their roof unless your roof is a complete rectangle. A penetration is anything that requires holes in your roof. Some common examples include vents, skylights, and chimneys. Anywhere that there are joints and penetrations in your roof, there is an opportunity for water to seep into your home or business. Flashing is installed in these areas to prevent the water from getting in. Roof flashing is made up of materials that are not easily penetrated by water.
AREAS THAT NEED FLASHING
VALLEYS
A valley is another name for a joint. It is the area where two slopes meet. Both slopes direct water into the valley and the valley directs the water down that section of the roof. This can create a leakage problem during a storm. A gushing stream of water can gather in the valley and create a risk of leakage. The roof flashing is usually made of long pieces of sheet metal that fit the shape of the valley. The flashing is then tightly sealed between shingles on both slopes.
Leaking Valley Flashing
A valley can leak in multiple ways. Having excessive debris from trees sitting in the valley will cause water to back up behind your tiles and shingles. It’s important to clear out the valleys to allow water to flow. When you are inspecting the valley flashing installation, you want to sweep the surface clean and then inspect every inch for even the smallest cut in the metal. Even walking on the roof around the valley can cause issues if you don’t know how to walk on the roof. A metal valley flashing installation will have a lip on each side of the metal to direct water back into the center of the metal. When walking on the roof it’s easy to crush these lips if you don’t know where to step.
SKYLIGHTS
Skylights provide a way for sunlight to enter your home or business, but you don’t want them to provide a way for water to get in too. To ensure that the skylights have a tight seal, a continuous sheet of flashing is installed on each side of the skylight.
Look at the skylight flashing. Because the purpose of flashing is to make a watertight seal between the skylight and the roof, any visible defects or damage (like corrosion or pinholes) are signs your flashing needs to be replaced. You should also check that the roofing material extends all the way around the flashing, including each side and the top. If there is space between the roofing and flashing, water can get trapped and cause leaks.
Seal Flashing Around a Leaking Skylight
Start by clearing any water or debris that has collected between the roofing and flashing. Then lift the roof shingles away from the edges of the skylight so you can access the flashing. Use a putty knife to add a layer of roofing cement in the gap between the edge of the flashing and the roofing. This will provide a seal against future leaks, as long as it doesn’t dry out or become brittle. Check the roofing cement sealant every few months. If it’s peeling or dried out, remove and apply a new layer. When the flashing itself is damaged or moldy, it must be replaced. Call a professional in most cases.
CHIMNEYS
If there is one area that needs flashing the most, it is the chimney. It requires special flashing and is usually made up of three parts: step, apron, and cricket. Step flashing directs water away from the chimney and onto the roof. The apron is installed below the chimney and the cricket is installed above it.
A leaky chimney can cause all sorts of problems which require costly repair. The lashing is sheet metal installed for the purpose of ensuring that the connection between the chimney and roof is watertight, but the effectiveness of flashing eventually expires. The best way to avoid moisture issues caused by flashing is to get an annual chimney inspection; every aspect of the chimney system is carefully inspected.
How is Flashing Installed?
Typically, flashing consists of two metal panel parts. The step or base flashing is the first part and is installed underneath a shingle and bent upward against the brick chimney. Upon inspection of the L-shaped sections of base flashing, we often find holes and cracks. The second piece of flashing is called counter flashing. This piece is bent down over the step flashing and also cuts back and is embedded into a chimney mortar joint at the top and caps or seals off the top portion of the step flashing.
The installation of flashing can be challenging; in particular, corners tend to be vulnerable. Even with top quality installation, there is a small spot to which high-quality urethane caulking should be applied, to complete the waterproofing aspect of the process. If leakage around flashing isn’t allowed to go on very long, it’s possible that re-application of caulk is all that may be needed. But if the flashing materials are not properly overlapped, the problem can’t be fixed with caulk.
The type of metal used for flashing varies according to region and cost. Galvanized steel and aluminum are the standard choices and on some high-end installations copper is used. Copper is the best material for flashing because it’s durable and the corners form a more watertight connection, since they can be soldered. Masons in the Northeast tend to favor lead flashing since it is a soft metal that can easily be bent to shape. No matter what type of material is used, correct layering during installation is essential to form a watertight connection.
Are There Warning Signs that Flashing Needs Repair or Replacement?
Leaks around the chimney are not always evident right away but they can cause serious structural damage. Moisture enters the roofing, the attic, and possibly the ceiling areas causing wood rot, roof damage, attic damage, and drywall damage in the ceilings. It’s a good idea to inspect the chimney area in the attic every six months to a year, to be sure that there are no signs of leakage.
When a chimney is especially vulnerable to moisture because it’s at the bottom of a roof slope, we typically install a cricket, which is a roofing term for a triangle shaped diversion roof built behind the chimney at the roofline. Crickets help to ensure that the flashing can do its job well, keeping moisture from entering the home where the roof and chimney connect.
Dormers
Dormers are an example of a joint in the roof, as well as a meeting between to slopes. However, a dormer usually does not form a valley. The seam between the roof of the dormer and the rest of the roof is protected with a length of sheet metal similar to that used in a valley. The seam between the walls of the dormer and the roof are sealed with step flashing similar to the sides of a chimney.
Inspection and Repair of Flashing
Depending on the type of roofing and flashing materials you have, they may not age at the same rate. For long-lasting roofing materials like tile and slate, flashing will often need to be replaced well before the roof does. For less long-lasting roofs, like the very common asphalt shingle, flashing may last the life of the roof, but should still be monitored and maintained with as much care as the shingles.
CALL OR EMAIL US TODAY FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE – 202-276-5004
Roof flashing plays a critical role in the integrity of your roof. It secures joints in your roof and places that tend to receive a lot of water. Roof flashing redirects water from vulnerable areas of the roof and into gutters. Flashing plays an important role in preventing leaks. Roofs are meant to keep elements out of your home or business. They offer protection for your family or employees. Modern roofs are built to last anywhere from 15 years to a lifetime. However, every roof can be subject to weak points, such as leaking. This is where roof flashing comes to play.
Skylights provide a way for sunlight to enter your home or business, but you don’t want them to provide a way for water to get in too. To ensure that the skylights have a tight seal, a continuous sheet of flashing is installed on each side of the skylight.
When a chimney is especially vulnerable to moisture because it’s at the bottom of a roof slope, we typically install a cricket, which is a roofing term for a triangle shaped diversion roof built behind the chimney at the roofline. Crickets help to ensure that the flashing can do its job well, keeping moisture from entering the home where the roof and chimney connect.