Flashing Your Roof

Roof flashing is a thin material usually galvanized steel that professional roofers use to direct water away from critical areas of the roof wherever the roof plane meets a vertical surface like a wall or a dormer.

Flashing your roof.

The unsung hero of the operation is roof flashing. Flashing can be made from several types of metal including copper aluminum galvanized steel and lead. Roof flashing is designed to keep the underlayment on your roof dry. The following are some of the types of flashing that you will find on a typical sloped roof.

The water flowing across the tile will break down underlayment and shorten up the lifespan. It is normal to have the flashing replaced at least once between roof replacement appointments. The extra kick at the bottom of the face directs run off away from the structure. During the roofing process it is rolled out into place and sealed.

Flashing is installed to surround roof features such as vents chimneys and skylights. It s made to withstand all weather conditions including high wind and excessive rain. Roof joints are the point where slopes and roofing panels meet while penetrations are a term used for anything that is installed by drilling a hole in your roof. Roofing contractors install flashing thin strips of metal over joints and penetrations to prevent rainwater from infiltrating the underlayers through any gaps.

What is the purpose of flashing on a roof. However flashing generally does not last as long as the roof itself. Roof flashing is a thin layer of metal sheeting used to direct water away from seams and joints where moisture could penetrate the roof and cause water damage. Valley flashing most people are familiar with valley flashing.

This drip edge flashing provides protection from water damage along the eaves and rake of a roof. Flashing is the key to a skylight that won t leak water into the roof cutting a hole in a perfectly water tight roof is asking for trouble and true to form skylights are notorious for. If the flashing is taken out of an area or damaged this can lead to a roof starting to leak even after just a few short years.