* Roof Flashing*

* Roof Flashing*

My shingles are not damaged, can my roof still leak?

Many serious roof leaks are not caused by missing or damaged shingles, they’re due to broken or improper roof flashing. Prime spots for water seepage on roofs for exterior walls are where surfaces intersect. These include where dormer walls and the roof join, around skylights and chimneys, and in roof valleys. Also vulnerable are surfaces where water runoff can be heavy, such as roof valleys and eaves. Flashing provides the extra protection that these spots need.

What steps can I take to prevent leakage?
Flashing helps protect your roof from leaking but, from time to time, the nails that fasten flashing work loose or the flashing material pulls away from seams and joints.

Your inspector looks carefully for loose nails and other holes as well as the seals at the edges of the flashing. Roofing cement and caulking can become dry, cracked, and crumble away, exposing joints to the elements. It is a simple matter to reseal the flashing and much less trouble than patching and painting water-stained walls and ceilings!

Is flashing always enough?
Properly installed, well maintained flashing will normally protect from water penetration however some roof and chimney configurations will necessitate the use of a 'Cricket' or 'Saddle'.

Whenever the width of a chimney located along the slope of a roof is more than 30 in., a cricket (also called a saddle) should be installed at the intersection of the chimney's high side and the roof. The cricket prevents debris, snow and ice from piling up behind the chimney--a condition that can cause rain or melting snow to back up under the shingles and leak into the house. The cricket also deflects water running down the roof around the chimney. The joints between the cricket and chimney, and the cricket and roof, should be flashed.

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