Why Roof Flashings Are Necessary

A house isn’t complete without a roof. If you care about the appearance of your home, you’d make sure that your roof complements its general style. It’s also important that they remain attractive and strong with little or no maintenance. You don’t want to deal with leaks or water seepage, so to avoid these problems, you need to install roof flashings, which are considered your roof’s final form of defence against water penetration.

Flashings are placed on areas of your roof where various surfaces come together, such as at roof peaks, edges, vents, dormers, and skylights. Flashings are installed in such spots to effectively seal the gaps and prevent water from seeping into them and causing damage not only to your roof but the rest of the building as well. Not only does water weaken the material, but it could also lead to the breeding of mould, bacteria, and fungi, which could be very harmful to the health of the occupants.

Different materials can be used for roof flashings. Your common options are aluminium and galvanised metal. Aluminium, in particular, is quite popular because it is very malleable and can be formed into different shapes. It also doesn’t easily rust.

There are various kinds of flashings to suit differing needs; the most usual one, however, is the v-shaped flashing that typically goes on roofline valleys and peaks. Another important area on the roof that requires flashing is along the bottom edge or drip edge where water, ice, and snow ordinarily collect. You don’t want water going through here as it can spread around the under-layment and cause significant damage. A two-part edge flashing along with a heating strip is commonly installed here. Flashings are normally secured into place with nails, but most roofers also apply layers of sealants to ensure that the roof is totally waterproof.

It’s important that flashings be installed correctly, but even when properly secured into place, the elements can loosen those nails in time so that the flashings start to come off. When caught early, such a problem can be easily remedied with a minor repair service. For this reason, it’s necessary to regularly inspect the condition of your roof so that it doesn’t get to the point that a major repair or even replacement is necessary.

If you go to the right supplier, flashings can be made fast to your custom requirements. Same day service is even available.