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The only way to have a truly water-tight surface on your roof is to construct it out of one clean surface. However, roofs are rarely a solid surface—roofs need to have vents, chimneys, attic outlets, and much more. Every single one of these involves putting a hole in your roof, and that hole is a location where water can seep in and start rotting away at your roof’s structure as well as damaging the rest of your home. The solution: flashing.
Flashing is a material layer that acts as a sort of seal to these holes in your roof, preventing water from intruding into your roof despite the holes cut for the vents and other features. Flashing also a key component in the construction of other features like dormer walls, roof valleys, skylights, and much more. On this blog, we’ll discuss the different types of roof flashing and discuss why they’re the source of so many headaches for homeowners.
Types of Flashing
Flashing can be one of a number of different materials, but one thing they all have in common is they need to be able withstand years of exposure to brutal sunlight while still holding their integrity. Most often, galvanized metal, lead, copper, or aluminum are the popular choices. Galvanized sheet metal is perhaps the most popular, however, because of its low cost and ease of use. Copper is becoming immensely expensive, and that means it’s really only used on copper roofs these days, which aren’t all that common to begin with.
However, there are different types of flashing for different uses as well. Proper chimney flashing uses regular flashing around the base, step flashing around the sides, and then saddle flashing on the top. Cap flashing may be used over the edges to keep water out. For vertical walls, such as dormer walls, you’ll use saddle flashing.
There are loads of different types of flashing and making sure you have the right type is pivotal for a water-tight roof. This is why you should always make sure you have a qualified Tucson roofer to help you out when constructing a new roof to make sure flashing is properly installed.
Damaged Flashing
Because you depend on flashing to seal your roof in its most vulnerable and water-exposed areas, it’s not uncommon for flashing to wear out, become damaged, and become a risk for leaks in your roof. Cracking, warping, or being torn away completely are all possibilities for flashing. Proper installation can prevent these problems from happening sooner, however improper service or installation can all jeopardize their functionality far quicker and lead to more damage in less time.
How can you tell that your flashing needs to be repaired or replaced? The easiest way is to contact a professional roofer to conduct an inspection if you notice leaks in your home. When a leak occurs at a particularly vulnerable area, such as a roof valley or dormer, the flashing is likely the root cause, and a professional can inspect the area to figure out if repairing or replacing the flashing is the best way to resolve the problem.
It’s a smart idea to have one of these roof inspections done every few years or so, even if you don’t think you have any leaks. A quality inspection will look for signs of wear and tear at these particularly vulnerable portions of your roof and tell you whether or not you’ve got any problems that may lead to a potential leak the next time the rain starts to fall.
Schedule a roofing inspection today by calling the experts at Lyons Roofing!Dial (520) 447-2522 to request an appointment now.
