As a homeowner, you might not think much about your roof’s flashing. But it’s actually one of the most important features of your roof, and it should be installed by a professional for it to be effective in keeping out moisture and water leakage. Otherwise, your roof will deteriorate faster than normal over time and you’ll eventually have to pay for a roof replacement sooner than expected. Barth Roofing Company, Inc. explains how flashing protects your roof.
Why is Roof Flashing Important?
Roof flashing provides extra protection against moisture penetration and is an important feature to utilize, monitor and repair. It’s commonly fabricated from rust-resistant materials such as aluminum, galvanized steel or copper. It can even be made from plastic, felt or rubber. The material used for flashing depends on where it will be installed.
Common types of Flashing
Since flashing is formed and sometimes soldered into various shapes, it usually comes in several types. To maximize their effectiveness, it’s recommended that you have your flashing installed by a trusted roofing company. Here are some of the most common ones:
- Continuous Flashing – This is installed to protect the joint between a vertical wall and sloped roof.
- Valley Flashing – This protects the valleys where two roof planes meet. This is a W-shaped channel that’s placed over the top of the roofing felt before the roof’s finishing material is installed.
- Drip Edges – This prevents water from seeping under your roofing along the edges of rakes and eaves and are applied under roofing felt along eaves and over roofing felt along rakes.
- Step Flashing – This is installed to protect the sidewalls of chimneys, skylights and roof dormers. It consists of a series of right-angled metal pieces, with each section composed of metal-like shingles that overlap the section beneath it. The vertical edge of the step flashing is either placed under siding or capped along the second counter flashing, which is mortared into the chimney or caulked along a skylight so water won’t penetrate it.
When you’re searching online for a “roofer near me”, be sure to check out Barth Roofing Company, Inc. We’ll get the job done professionally and efficiently. Chat with us today by calling (209) 833-9917 or you can fill out our online contact form.