Fixing Roof Flashing

7 months ago

Even though it’s an incredibly important part of your roof, not many homeowners understand what flashing is and how – or if – it can be fixed. Fixing roof flashing is a complex process, and it’s not always the best choice. Keep reading to learn more.

What Is Roof Flashing?

Flashings are typically formed metal that works to divert water away from openings on your roof. The areas of your roof that typically have flashing are the edges, any penetrations (including vents, chimneys, and skylights), valleys, and walls. Flashing works to ensure a water-resistant seal and keep your roof safe from other weather-related harm. One of the most common causes of roof leaks is damaged or improperly installed flashing, which is what makes fixing it a priority.

How Is Flashing Attached To A Roof?

Poorly installed flashing can leave your roof vulnerable to leaks and other issues. To attach flashing correctly, it’s best to have a professional roofer take care of the job. These are the basic steps to attaching flashing to a roof:

Clean your installation zone. Clear the area where you plan to install flashing to ensure it is free from debris. Remove tiles or shingles from around the area.

Install the underlayment. A roofing underlayment is critical to waterproofing your roof. Flashing sits on the underlayment and will not function properly without it.

Lay down the flashing. Place the flashing over the underlayment. Depending on the type of flashing being installed, the way your roofer places it will change. If you have a tile roof, plumbing vents, exhaust vents and flue pipes require two metal flashings, a galvanized deck flashing sealed to the underlayment, and a tile flashing made of dead-soft aluminum or lead.

Attach flashing to your roof. A roofer will ensure that your flashing is attached to your roof by using roof cement or sealant under the flange prior to nailing it in place.

Place tile or shingles over the flashing. Layer the tile/shingles over the flashing, covering about half of it. A tile roof will require a tile saw or small grinder with a diamond blade to cut the tiles. Shingles will require a utility knife to cut shingles around the flashing.

Can You Repair Roof Flashing?

Depending on the damage, you may be able to repair your roof flashing. However, you need to replace any heavily corroded or damaged flashing. If there is only some corrosion, a roofer can patch the holes and cover them with sealant..

Can You Replace Flashing Without Replacing The Roof?

You can always reuse your flashing if it isn’t extremely damaged, but we strongly discourage doing this. We always recommend homeowners replace their flashing whenever they replace their roof. Doing this guarantees the best protection for your new roof – which is a significant investment in itself!

Get The Truth About Your Roof

Fixing roof flashing is an option if it isn’t severely damaged and you aren’t replacing your roof. If you are replacing your roof, we highly recommend replacing your flashing as well. Doing this will protect your new roof and extend its life. Talking to a professional roofer can help you understand the best course of action for your home.

At Roofstar Arizona, our professional roofers will perform a complete roof inspection and give you a better idea of whether it’s worth fixing your roof’s flashing. Our dedicated experts help homeowners in the Phoenix-Mesa area learn the truth about their roofs.

Call us today at (480) 426-1915 for a free estimate.

From start until finish, Roofstar Arizona was the perfect choice for our house. We were given a very clear and thorough quote for the work our 30+ year old roof needed; we could’ve choose to ‘band-aid’ key areas and spend less, or we could spend the money and fix it right. We had saved and knew we’d have to spend a good amount of money for the work, but Roofstar was professional enough to offer choices. We had a slight miscommunication with regard to instruction with the on-site supervisor, and though we were able to easily clear things up, Roofstars’ owner Jeff drove himself to our home just to make sure our minds were at ease. Excellent touch. The workers were courteous and very thorough with the work. They stuck to the time needed to complete (we had good weather), and our home has a new roof, ready for the next 30 years. It looks great, and we have the confidence knowing the job was done right. Great work, guys. Highly recommend this company.

….03/2020–an update–we’ve had a few rainy days since the roof work–and everything is in fantastic order. These guys did a great job for us, and I know they will for you, too.

Dan Y.

This is a great company to work with. Worked with them twice over a 10-year period and both great experiences. The last experience involved a very difficult leak in a sun room/solarium and the owner, Jeff, came out and hunted down the leak and made sure that it was resolved. Cannot recommend them high enough. Thank you to Jeff and the Roofstar team.

Michael K.

Very impressed with Jeff’s response to my concern over a rain caused leak in our ceiling.

Jeff arrived promptly in the a.m. for an evaluation, congenial, confident – integrity fully present. The same characteristics I respected, wanted and needed and had happily experienced the moment I met him. After observing the
rather slight damage to the ceiling we went to the roof where he promptly flattened himself atop the shingles and like a practiced detective began to assess shingles and flashing, etc, in order to create a likely scenario that might have generated a leak. His minute attention to detail was impressive.

Having isolated the potential problem he proceeded to caulk here and there. He also took the time to address other concerns that I had regarding roofing issues going forward.

All in all Jeff delivered the kind of prompt, competent service all homeowners seek, are entitled to, and hope for in a tradesman.

Thank you, Jeff for living the kind of values that make owning a home worth the while.

Bob H.

Phoenix, AZ

I just wanted to personally thank both you (Jeff) and Mike for your help on this house. I appreciate that you took the time to schedule the repairs, confirm, and that your workers showed up on time and did a fantastic job! My husband is a general contractor, so we really appreciate it when a company stands by their word and delivers a great product. We will be adding you to our Recommended Vendor List and will put the word out there as much as we can for referrals! Thanks again for your help!

Kristie W.

Mesa, AZ

Roofstar provided professional inspection and detail quotes on the repairs needed to be done for our properties. We collected a few quotes from different roofing companies for comparison. Roofstar repair cost was very competitive and reasonable. We ultimately chose to go with Roofstar because we felt confident that they would take care of the problems. They came back to correct the minor issue that we had and finished the job to our satisfaction without further questions. We would highly recommend Roofstar to our families and friends.

Andrea S.

Thanks, Jeff. We appreciate your prompt, professional and courteous service. Your team (Pedro Diaz and crew) was great.

Mike

Tempe, AZ

I have a new roof today thanks to Roofstar. From the estimate with Chris with understanding the process. Able to talk to all top brass with the care and interest in sharing the process through the team that showed up and did The work. Always willing to answer my questions I am thrilled with the results. Thanks Jeff, Jose, Juan, and Chris. I would highly recommend your team. Your onsite workers were fabulous.

Nancy H.

Jeff found problems we knew were wrong with our roof that other Roofers who inspected & gave proposals missed. He was very straight forward, honest & always making sure our questions were answered. He & his crew showed us materials being used & explained everything! He got on the roof during the work to make sure things were going right. His crew are outstanding, respectful, honest and very clean. Couldn’t be more satisfied!! He came highly recommended & we can see why! Thank you Jeff, Juan and Crew for all your hard work. They care & take pride in their work & customers!

Ron & MJ P.

Mesa, AZ

After a monsoon storm ripped off half our asphalt shingles, I got several quotes from Valley roof companies. Roofstar impressed me with their quote, attention to detail, and quality photos showing the job as a whole. I went ahead used Roofstar, who replaced the entire roof while I was out of town and did a great job picking up the trash, sealing the A/C unit, and affixing new drip edges. I had a small issue with the new trim not matching the old color and the owner, Jeff, was kind enough to come back out and paint the trim himself. Would I recommend Roofstar to friends and family? SURE! They stand behind their work.

Chad H.

Andrea S.

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