HERE FOR ALL OF YOUR ROOFING NEEDS!
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.
