Why Is Roof Flashing Important for Your Roof?

Property owners that don’t get roof flashing done for their building(s) will suffer severe long-term damage to their roof and structure. When water settles between your roof and the tile or asphalt shingles, it can cause mold, mildew, and warping. That’s why it’s essential to make sure it doesn’t happen.

Not only does it look awful, but you also risk losing a great deal of money when this happens. Tried and True Roofing offers commercial and residential roofing solutions to prevent leaks from happening. Read on to learn why roof flashing is essential to your roof.

How Does Roof Flashing Work?

Roof flashing is a metal layer covering the joints where pipes and chimneys go through the roof. It prevents water from entering the house at those joints, which can cause leaks and damage to the roof itself. Roof flashing also helps keep water out of places like skylights and vents.

An experienced contractor should install roof flashing, but it’s also something you can do yourself if you want to save money. If you’re DIY, ensure you know how to measure for proper dimensions before buying materials so that everything fits.

Importance of Flashing

Roofs have gaps between shingles and other parts of the roofing system that allow water to get in when it rains. Water in these areas can cause mold and mildew growth, which is terrible for your health and your home’s structural integrity.

Roof flashing it’s a thin metal installed on top of the roofing material. The purpose of flashing is to ensure that no water penetrates between the roof decking and the wall or chimney at any point on the roof.

Roof Flashing Types

There are several types of roof flashing available, including:

• Continuous flashing, the target area, is covered with a single, uninterrupted strip of continuous flashing.
• Step Flashing has two pieces that overlap at right angles on one side of a wall.
• Saddle Flashing is for structural elements such as joists, beams, and pipelines that extend beyond the walls of a building.
• Cap flashing is installed at the junction of a roof or wall and a window.
• Valley flashing is installed along the junctures of two intersecting roofs.

Where Do You Install Flashing?

Flashing is used in different areas on a roof, including:

• Valleys: Valleys are where two sloped roofs meet at an angle. To prevent water from leaking into your attic or house, you must install flashing on both sides of the valley.
• Chimneys: Chimneys are of brick or stone, but they still require flashing around them to prevent water from entering your home. The metal flange on top of a chimney should be covered with metal flashing so it doesn’t rust and leak into your house or attic space.
• Skylight: Sealing the skylight to the roof is essential. The flashing on either skylight side will form continuous sheet metal.
• Dormers: Dormers are roof intersections where two roof slopes meet. Step flashing, like that found on the chimney’s sides, is used to seal the joint between the dormer’s walls and the roof.

Materials for Flashing

There are different types of flashing materials available to homeowners and contractors. Knowing the best for your project saves time and money. The common material used for flashing is: 

• Steel flashing is relatively inexpensive, durable, and easy to work with. It has various gauges and thicknesses. Steel is also available in pre-painted finishes designed to resist corrosion. 
• Copper flashing has excellent heat-conducting properties and can absorb thermal energy from the sun’s rays. It also has a low expansion coefficient, making it resistant to thermal shock and warping. Copper is more expensive than steel, but it lasts longer than most other types of metal because it doesn’t rust or corrode easily when exposed to moisture.
• Lead flashing has been used for thousands of years because it doesn’t rust or corrode easily when exposed to moisture like many other metals. However, lead is heavy and it can be challenging to install on roofs with steep pitches or large overhangs where weight becomes an issue during installation or removal. 
• Aluminum is lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and easy to work with. Although it’s cheaper than copper, aluminum corrodes when placed in contact with concrete and treated lumber. Aluminum flashing requires an expert installation for larger jobs because the joints must overlap or caulk with appropriate sealants to ensure a watertight seal.
• Roofing rolls are sold in convenient rolls. It costs less than asphalt shingles and lasts roughly as long. It’s installed in valleys; it calls for little specialized knowledge or training to set up. It can shrink in some environments; therefore, it’s rarely utilized.

Ideally, the roof flashing will keep water from leaking into the areas of your home. Flashing is only adequate if installed correctly, which can be somewhat tricky. If this sounds a bit confusing, or if you think some flashing may need replacing, contact a local roofing company for advice and work.