Edge flashing
Bent or missing drip edge is replaced at eaves and rakes so water drips clear of the fascia.
A roofer in Maplewood can repair or replace the step flashing, counter flashing, kickout flashing, valley metal and drip edge that seal the joints of a roof, woven correctly with the shingles and tucked behind the siding. Dial (973) 858-1830 to talk with a local roofer about the flashing.
Shingles handle the open field of a roof; flashing handles the joints. Step flashing is a series of small bent pieces woven in with each course of shingles along a sidewall, counter flashing laps over it from the wall side, a kickout at the bottom of the wall throws water into the gutter, and drip edge lines the eaves and rakes. Each of those pieces has one job, and when it fails, water finds the gap.
Flashing problems often hide inside the wall rather than on the ceiling. A missing kickout is a classic example: water running down the roof edge pours behind the siding at the bottom of the wall, and the rot shows up later as soft trim, stained siding or a damp window below. Catching it early keeps the repair to the flashing instead of the wall.
A bead of sealant along a joint is a warning sign, not a repair. Sealant smeared where flashing should be dries and cracks in a few seasons, and it can trap water instead of shedding it. Lasting flashing repair means new metal installed in the right order, with sealant only as a backup.
Many flashing repair calls in Maplewood also turn up a need for chimney flashing repair or roof leak repair.
Need flashing repair in Maplewood? Call (973) 858-1830 to talk to a local roofer.
Call nowFlashing repair is a layering job, done from the bottom up.
The roofer checks the joint from the roof and the attic, looking for missing pieces, rust, face nails and caulk hiding a gap. Damage in the wall changes the scope, so it is checked early.
The shingles next to the wall come up, and the lowest siding courses come off to expose the flashing. New flashing has to tuck behind the housewrap, which means opening the wall a little.
Each new step piece overlaps the one beneath it, and the kickout at the base sends water into the gutter. Nails stay on the horizontal leg, high enough to be covered by the next shingle.
On masonry walls, counter flashing is set into a cut joint; on framed walls, the housewrap and siding cover the flashing. The gap lets the joint dry and keeps trim from wicking water.
At the roof edges, drip edge is reset or replaced to protect the fascia and deck edge. The lap order differs at eaves and rakes, and getting it right matters.
Bent or missing drip edge is replaced at eaves and rakes so water drips clear of the fascia.
Cap flashing on masonry is reset into the mortar joint so the top edge of the step flashing stays covered.
Apron flashing where a roof slope meets a wall above is renewed and covered by the siding or counter flashing.
Sidewall flashing is rebuilt one course at a time so water stays on the roof.
Kickouts are fitted at the bottom of roof-to-wall joints so runoff stops soaking the siding.
The scope of a flashing repair depends on the joint and on how much damage the water has done. Some repairs take an hour at one corner; others mean opening a whole wall joint and replacing the metal course by course. The roofer should explain which applies before work begins.
Material matters too. Copper, galvanized steel and aluminum all show up on roofs, and each has spots where it works best. Dissimilar metals touching each other corrode, so repairs should match existing flashing or be separated.
Roof valleys carry the runoff from two slopes, so they handle more water than any other part of the roof. Valleys are either open, with exposed metal, or closed, with shingles running through them. Either way, a self-adhered membrane should line the valley under everything else.
Leaves and needles that pile up in a valley hold water and wear the shingles or rust the metal. Small installation details, like clipping the upper corners of the cut shingles, keep water flowing down the valley instead of across it. Valley repair usually means removing the shingles along the valley, replacing the membrane and metal and reshingling with the right cuts.
In Maplewood, many flashing problems date back to an old reroof where the original flashing was reused or caulked instead of replaced. From Maplewood out to neighboring towns such as Vauxhall, Union, Springfield and Short Hills, older homes often have rusted or face-nailed flashing, while newer ones sometimes lack kickouts entirely, which is why roofers pay extra attention to walls, dormers and additions.
Need flashing repair around Maplewood? Call (973) 858-1830 for a Maplewood roofer who serves the towns around it too.
Cold winters bring snow, ice and a long stretch of freezing nights. When warm attic air melts the snow, the meltwater runs down and freezes again at the eaves, which is how ice dams form and back water up under the shingles. Coastal storms and heavy spring rain drive water sideways into flashing, valleys and old chimneys. Most homeowners in Maplewood, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Roofers in Maplewood know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
More questions? Call (973) 858-1830
Repairing the step, counter, apron and back pan flashing where a chimney passes through the roof, instead of another coat of tar.
Learn moreFinding where water gets through the roof and sealing it at the source, with the damage underneath checked too.
Learn moreFixing leaking, fogged or cracked skylights and the flashing around them, without replacing a unit that can still be saved.
Learn moreFixing the vents and pipe collars that poke through a roof and often leak first, with the attic airflow kept working.
Learn moreLooking for something else?
See all roofing servicesCall (973) 858-1830 for a local roofer in Maplewood and nearby towns.