Can You Explain Exactly What Roof Flashing Is?
Flashing is a galvanised steel roof material that’s placed over roof joints to keep water from seeping into the roof membranes. Flashings can be seen around the chimneys, roof vents, valleys, or dormer windows. Like any other roof member, flashing gets damaged too through wear and tear, where it gets loose brought by heavy winds and storms that continuously run water during the event of the catastrophe. Flashing serves as a shield that drives away runoff water towards the gutter and downspouts, where the gutter serves as another channel and sometimes as a catch basin before the water completely runs down the spout.
Installation or flashing repair can be practically done as the process is manageable. However, it is suggested to hire a professional to handle the job as he or she knows better how to shape and fit a flashing onto the roof, using caulking for efficient adherence.
Aluminium flashing around a sophisticated vent. 
Steep slope PVC flashing on a typical pipe vent.
Before you do any DIY repair, you need to prepare your tools before getting on the roof. Unless you are a professional roofer, working on the roof or heights is a dangerous task. So, think twice before you lay your hand on fixing the flashing. In Birmingham, there are trusted roofing contractors you can depend on regarding roof repair.
Flashing: an indispensable roof member
The roof contains intersections and valleys that need to be there in order to prevent leaks. The roof’s underlayment, insulation, attic, and exterior walls need protection from water damage. Without flashing, all roofing parts, including the surface, would negate their function if water would relentlessly seep in and buildup moisture within.
Types of roof flashing
- Chimney—continuous flashing around the chimney connects the joint between the wall of the chimney and the slope of the roof. Failure in the chimney flashing installation will result in leaks. Sometimes, the source of a troubling flashing is the loose connection between the roof and caulk. Even if watertight, the efficiency of the flashing wears out.
- Vent pipe—ventilation pipes, poking out of the roof, need flashing to seal them with the roof. The fitting of the cone-shaped flashing should be watertight so that there’s not a slight chance for rainwater to seep through the roof’s interior.
- Skylight—skylight flashing is installed to protect their curbs. Continuous flashing is installed around the curb to shed water smoothly.
- Step flashing—the roof includes chimney, skylight, and dormer walls that could catch water. With a step flashing, rainwater will be prevented from getting into the seams by covering the points where the wall and roof surface meets. Step flashing is curbed at a 45-degree angle to allow bending and sit flat the bottom part on the roof surface. The vertical part is adhered on the chimney’s wall using nails or tucker and is better adhered with mortar or caulk to keep water from sneaking in.
- Valley—the most common among the types of flashing where two slopes of the roof meet. The valley flashing serves as a channel installed before the roof’s finishing material.
Skylights need efficient flashing installation. 
Flashing on dormer windows protect the roof from leaks.
What flashing is made of
Most roof flashings are made of aluminium, copper, or galvanised steel, but they should be highly resistant to rust. With excessive rust on the metal surface, eventually, the metal will corrode and will have holes on it, making the flashing unable to flash water. Worse, the water that seeps through the hole will go directly to other essential roof members. Soon, moisture buildup will wreak havoc on the roofing system. This is why, occasionally, flashings are made from rubber, felt, or plastic material to do away with rust.
Roofing repair in Birmingham
Roofers in Birmingham are highly efficient roofing contractors that have handled projects on roofing around the UK. Usually, the insurance company includes flashing repair along with some tile replacement or even roof replacement, as it is a roof member that wears off as same as the others, sometimes sooner. Also, when you engage with roof repair, your hired contractor will add flashing replacement as part of the package in the roofing job.
To ensure you receive transparency with your roofing expert, deal with those who have been in this industry for many years, such as us. At Birmingham Roofers, we guarantee quality work and that we leave no mess behind. Call us for more information, and if you want to prepare your roof’s flashing before a storm comes. Enjoy our free quotes before your informed decision making.
