Diverter flashing
A kickout is added where a roof edge ends against a wall to steer water into the gutter.
Roof Repair
Flashing Repair Westfield, NJ
Most leaks at walls, dormers and roof edges in Westfield come down to flashing, and a roofer can fix it by replacing the failed metal rather than caulking over it, with the wall sheathing checked for hidden rot. One call to (908) 728-6005 reaches a nearby roofer who repairs 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. A single missing or loose piece is enough to send water behind the shingles or into the wall.
A failed kickout or step flashing tends to rot wall sheathing long before it stains a ceiling. Without a kickout, roof runoff dumps against the siding where the wall meets the eave, soaking the sheathing and framing below it. By the time it is visible, the repair may include some siding and wall sheathing too.
One of the most common shortcuts on roofs is caulk in place of metal. Sealant smeared where flashing should be dries and cracks in a few seasons, and it can trap water instead of shedding it. A real repair replaces the metal, often by removing a few courses of siding and shingles so the new flashing can be lapped correctly.
Depending on what the roofer finds, flashing repair in Westfield, NJ can go hand in hand with chimney flashing repair and roof leak repair.
Need flashing repair in Westfield? Call (908) 728-6005 and describe the problem to a roofer who works in Westfield.
Call nowThe process
How flashing repair works
Good flashing work is mostly about the order things overlap.
Check the flashing
The roofer checks the joint from the roof and the attic, looking for missing pieces, rust, face nails and caulk hiding a gap. Probing the wall below shows whether water has reached the sheathing.
Remove siding
To replace step flashing properly, a few courses of siding and the shingles along the wall are carefully removed. That is the only way to lap new metal behind the wall weather barrier.
Replace the pieces
New step flashing is installed one piece per shingle course, each lapping the one below, with a kickout diverter at the bottom. Each piece is nailed through the roof side only, so the wall and roof can move independently.
Cover the top
On masonry walls, counter flashing is set into a cut joint; on framed walls, the housewrap and siding cover the flashing. Siding pressed tight to the shingles stays wet and rots.
Seal the eaves
Drip edge along eaves and rakes is checked and replaced where it is bent or missing, lapped correctly with the underlayment. The lap order differs at eaves and rakes, and getting it right matters.
What is included
Common flashing repairs
Edge flashing
Bent or missing drip edge is replaced at eaves and rakes so water drips clear of the fascia.
Apron flashing
Headwall metal at the top of a slope is replaced with proper laps over the shingles.
Step flashing
Step pieces along walls and dormer cheeks are replaced behind the housewrap.
Counter flashing
Cap flashing on masonry is reset into the mortar joint without relying on caulk alone.
Related service
Roof Flashing Repair Westfield, NJ
Roof flashing repair ranges from resetting a single loose piece to rebuilding a full sidewall. Minor work includes refastening loose metal or adding a missing kickout; bigger jobs mean pulling siding and replacing every step piece along a wall. The roofer should explain which applies before work begins.
Not every flashing metal works in every spot. Aluminum is common and easy to form, galvanized steel is stiffer, and copper lasts a very long time; aluminum should not sit directly against fresh mortar or certain treated lumber, which can corrode it. Matching metals avoids corrosion where new and old flashing meet.
Related service
Roof Valley Flashing Westfield, NJ
Valleys are the gutters of the roof surface, collecting water from both sides. An open valley uses a strip of metal, often a W-shaped valley pan with a center rib, with the shingles cut back on each side; a closed valley has the shingles woven or cut across it with no metal showing. Both need ice and water shield underneath, centered in the valley.
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.
Local help
Flashing Repair Near Me
In Westfield, many flashing problems date back to an old reroof where the original flashing was reused or caulked instead of replaced. Homes in Westfield and nearby towns like Garwood, Cranford, Mountainside and Fanwood range from older houses with aging galvanized flashing and no kickouts to newer homes with complex rooflines that rely on many wall joints, and each of those joints is a place worth checking.
Need flashing repair around Westfield? Call (908) 728-6005 for a Westfield roofer who serves the towns around it too.
How the weather here affects roofs around Westfield
Winters here are long and cold, with snow on the roof for weeks at a time and plenty of nights below freezing. 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. Strong coastal storms push rain into every weak spot at the flashing and valleys. Most homeowners in Westfield, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why not wait
Less damage
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Roofers who know Westfield
Roofers in Westfield know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Know what happens next
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Common questions about flashing repair
Is it possible to fix flashing without a new roof?
Flashing repair is a routine job on roofs that are otherwise sound. Only the shingles and siding next to the joint come off while new metal goes in. If the roof is near the end of its life, it can make sense to replace flashing as part of a reroof instead.
What is step flashing and why does it matter?
Step flashing is a series of small L-shaped pieces, one for each course of shingles along a wall. The overlap carries water down the wall joint and out onto the shingle surface. A long single strip sends water under the roofing, which is why step pieces are the standard.
What are the signs of bad roof flashing?
Water showing up near a wall joint, skylight or valley points to flashing. Outside, look for rust, gaps, lifted metal, nails through the face and heavy caulk along the joint. Rot at the base of a sidewall suggests water is getting behind the siding. Call (908) 728-6005 to have a roofer check it.
What is a kickout flashing?
Kickout flashing sits where a roof eave dies into a sidewall. Its job is to keep the water coming down the joint off the siding and out of the wall. Missing kickouts are a common cause of hidden wall rot.
Will caulk fix leaking flashing?
A bead of caulk may hold for a season or two, but it will fail. It shrinks and pulls away, then lets water in where nobody can see it. The lasting fix is new flashing installed and lapped correctly.
More questions? Call (908) 728-6005
Related services
Chimney Flashing Repair
Repairing the step, counter, apron and back pan flashing where a chimney passes through the roof, instead of another coat of tar.
Learn moreRoof Leak Repair
Finding where water gets through the roof and sealing it at the source, with the damage underneath checked too.
Learn moreSkylight Repair
Repairs for skylight leaks, failed glass seals and worn flashing kits, so the opening stays dry through every storm.
Learn moreRoof Vent Repair
Repairing cracked pipe boots, broken box vents, loose ridge vents, seized turbines and exhaust hoods, so every opening in the roof stays sealed.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
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Call (908) 728-6005 to talk to a roofer serving Westfield, NJ.