Roofing, when it is installed, is hoped to be impervious to water, dampness, and every other natural occurrence that comes with the weather. However, no matter how fine the type of roof or how skilled the workmen who designed and installed it, nature always finds a way to whittle its way through even the toughest of roofing material. Flashing can help better protect your roof.
Flashing is a practice which involves integrating impervious to water material, whether atop damaged roofing, or within the roof itself, prior to the installation of roofing tiles, in order to prevent water and moisture from seeping through and damaging the overall structural integrity of your roof. More often than not, people skip flashing during preliminary constructions, necessitating a need for the re-flashing of skylights and chimneys at a junction when damage has already been done, and a significant amount of work is necessary to repair or replace these.
If you’re a homeowner with an older house, or even one who is simply concerned about the lasting structural integrity of the roof on your newer home, then consider the re-flashing of skylights and chimneys. Consider it not as a last-ditch effort to save your roof from further damage, but as a necessary and a basic step to ensure that your roof is kept in the most serviceable condition possible, for the longest possible time.
Still, it is something that is often overlooked, especially in the light of other expenses that burdens the average householder. If you find that your roof has sprung a leak, don’t opt for a quick-repair solution, but rather, consider re-flashing your roof instead. Not only are epoxy patches and quick-fixes temporary means to stop a leak, these rarely, if ever, do the proper job of really keeping out water and moisture from further damaging your roof in other areas.
Skylights and chimneys, being the more ‘open’ and accessible parts of a roof, are often more prone to water damage, and will thus require re-flashing to maintain its overall functionality. Tar sealers and other means to ‘patching up’ damaged areas of a skylight or chimney simply fail to address the greater problem – water seeps through any porous material. Moisture always finds a way to damage roofing tiles and wood, it’s a fact.
Opting for re-flashing curtails installing tin, copper, or metal sheeting along with a caulking sealer to create a surface that is thoroughly impervious to water. So, for those who want to save on expensive and often ineffective roof repairs and constant maintenance over the years, roof re-flashing is the logical choice.