roof flashings Archives - Charles Buell Consulting LLC

The roof on a building I inspected a while ago had two steps where the elevation of the roof changed. Both were flashed improperly. The metal flashing at this transition should never be a continuous piece whether it is installed on top of the shingles:

Or under the shingles:

Regardless of its position, if the metal flashing is continuous, water will eventually either travel across the shingles and then into the roof structure or under the shingles and across the flashing to the roof structure. Of course any water should then encounter the felt paper under the shingles, but the felt paper is not designed to be water proof—it is full of holes from nailing all the shingles down. Eventually either method of installation will result in damage to the roof structure.

This transition should have step flashings. Proper step flashings will result in as many overlapping pieces as there are rows of shingles. This will guarantee proper drainage and prevent damage to the roof.

Obviously the flashings should also be counter-flashed. In both of the installations pictured above it is likely intended (or was intended) for a fascia to be installed to lap over the flashings. While this will likely prevent water from getting behind the improper continuous metal flashings from above—it will result in the higher roof shingles not overhanging the fascia enough to prevent water from wicking behind the fascia or into the upper roof structure.

Installation of some sort of metal counter-flashing will likely be necessary in conjunction with removal of the continuous flashings and installation of proper step-flashings.

By Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle

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Some people think my job is difficult—like rocket science.

I wish my job was Rocket Science—-but for the most part it isn’t.

Home inspectors need good observation skills. Some would argue that teaching that part of the job to wannabe inspectors is the difficult part—-if it is possible at all. With enough time and commitment one can learn everything one needs to know, and can become very good at figuring out things, but the ability to “SEE” is more difficult to learn and teach.

When things are not right, the things that are “not right” must jump at the inspector like a hungry tiger—almost as if the defect is finding the inspector as opposed to the other way around.

Beginning inspectors are so intent on finding defects that they often look right past things that would otherwise have them for lunch if those things hadn’t already eaten the previous inspector.

That said—-some things jump out of the shadows more easily than others.

Take this picture of an improperly terminated plumbing vent pipe for example—-if there is anything I can’t stand it is obviousness (to loosely quote Mickey Rourke in “Barfly.”

Missing pipe flashing

Missing pipe flashing and vent pipe not long enough

Perhaps the plumber didn’t get paid.

Perhaps someone ran out of weekends.

***

Charles Buell, Seattle Home Inspector

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Two approaches to wrong

Most home defects are not “Rocket Science”