Broken Arrow Residential Roof Flashing
Blacksmith Roofing and Construction- Roof Flashing: Where Family Building, Not Just Home Building, Is At The Core of Everything We Do.
What Is The Flashing On A Roof?
Roof flashing is a thin material, usually galvanized steel, that professional roofers like Blacksmith Roofing use to direct water away from critical areas of the roof, wherever the roof plane meets a vertical surface like a wall or a dormer. This is installed to surround roof features, such as vents, chimneys, and skylights. Water should run down the side of the redirection and be directed to the shingles instead of finding its way into the roof deck.
If there was no redirection against these walls, water could slowly drip into the crevice between the wall and the roof, and potentially into the home. If you are seeing damage to your roof’s flashing, consider having a professional roof inspection on your Broken Arrow home.
There are almost as many types of roof flashing as there are parts of the roof! After all, each roof feature needs protection. These are the key types of roof flashing you need to understand:
Continuous Flashing
Continuous flashing is also called “apron flashing” because it acts a lot like an apron. It’s a long, single piece of metal that carries water down to the shingles below. Long pieces of continuous redirection will have trouble flexing as the home expands and contracts in the changing seasons. If left as is, it could break or warp and fail to keep water out. Therefore, long pieces have built-in expansion joints so they can move with the home.
Base Flashing
Some roof features, such as chimneys, require two pieces of flashing. This ensures that rain always is redirected and is directed downwards. Plus, it is notoriously tough to install this around a chimney. The base flashing is the bottom piece.
Counter-Flashing
Placed opposite to base flashing, or above this completes the two-part team.
Step Flashing
Step flashing is a rectangular piece of flashing bent 90 degrees in the center. It is used for roof to wall redirection. Multiple pieces will be installed in layers with shingles to ensure the water flows away from the wall.
What Is The Best Roof Flashing Material?
Here are the four most common materials used for roof flashings to consider:
- Galvanized Steel
If you have a metal roof, then galvanized steel would be the natural choice since it is also the same material used for the roofing system. This material comes with a zinc coating to make the flashing less susceptible to corrosion and withstand long-term exposure to moisture.
- Aluminum
This material is durable, malleable, and relatively inexpensive, compared to other materials available. Thanks to its malleability, it allows for maximum fabrication, lending itself to tricky applications such as the chimney, valley, or base flashing. It is important to add a finish to the aluminum to prevent corrosion when it comes into contact with wood, concrete, or cement. This means that only expert roofing companies or contractors can work with this material to ensure a watertight seal.
- Copper
This is arguably the most durable and eye-catching flashing material on the market today. Rather than develop rust from years of exposure to the elements, it forms a green patina that ages gracefully without affecting the look of your roof. Copper is compatible with most wood preservatives and requires no painting or other treatments, making it one of the most popular choices when it comes to roof flashing.
- Lead
Lead is one of the oldest and most durable materials used for flashing, providing long-lasting protection from water. It is soft and easy to bend and remains strong despite expanding and contracting perennially with changes in temperature. In fact, lead is believed to last for more than 200 years.
Our Mission
Providing Ironclad Ethics through quality work and Ironclad warranties. We are forging family, value, and relationships, one customer at a time!
Check Out That Gold!
We are so proud to have been voted the Best Roofer in 2018 in the Best of the Best awards from
Oklahoma Magazine. It’s all thanks to our awesome Blacksmith Roofing family—and that includes you!
Ironclad Ethics
We take on every roofing project with our Ironclad Ethics in mind. These unmatched Ironclad Ethics are a set of high standards for how we manage our materials, pricing, and client relationships, so that everything we build, we build with integrity.
Ready To Get Started?
When you need an affordable Broken Arrow residential roofing company, turn to the roofing family at Blacksmith Roofing. We do not want you to have to deal with a damaged and leaky roof any longer than you have to and we can work with you and your insurance company to get your hail-damaged roof replacement done now.
Give us a call today at (918) 994-2874 to get started and get a FREE quote on any of our roofing services.
