Step flashing
Loose or rusted step flashing is renewed behind the housewrap.
Roof Repair
Flashing Repair Palisades Park, NJ
A roofer in Palisades Park can repair or replace the step flashing, counter flashing, kickout flashing, valley metal and drip edge that seal the joints of a roof, so water is shed by the metal itself. Dial (551) 348-3807 to talk with a local roofer about the flashing.
Wherever a roof meets a wall, a dormer, a skylight, a valley or an edge, it relies on flashing to keep water out. 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.
Flashing leaks are sneaky because the water often runs into the wall instead of the attic. At the base of a roof-to-wall joint, water with nowhere to go runs behind siding and soaks the wall framing. That is why flashing deserves a close look on any house with walls rising above a roof.
Caulk is not flashing. Roofing cement and caulk shrink, crack and pull away under sun and temperature swings, then let water in again. 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 Palisades Park, NJ can go hand in hand with chimney flashing repair and roof leak repair.
Looking for Palisades Park flashing repair? Call (551) 348-3807 to talk to a local roofer.
Call nowThe process
How flashing repair works
Flashing repair is a layering job, done from the bottom up.
Check the flashing
Each joint is examined for missing kickouts, loose step pieces and counter flashing that no longer covers the top. Damage in the wall changes the scope, so it is checked early.
Open the joint
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
Each new step piece overlaps the one beneath it, and the kickout at the base sends water into the gutter. Each piece is nailed through the roof side only, so the wall and roof can move independently.
Seal the wall side
Housewrap is lapped over the vertical legs, then siding goes back on with a gap above the shingles so it does not wick water. That clearance keeps the siding from soaking up water at the roof line.
Finish the edges
Damaged drip edge is renewed so water drips clear of the fascia. At eaves the underlayment goes over the drip edge; at rakes the drip edge goes over it.
What is included
Common flashing repairs
Diverter flashing
Missing kickout diverters are installed at the base of sidewalls so runoff stops soaking the siding.
Headwall flashing
Apron flashing where a roof slope meets a wall above is renewed and covered by the siding or counter flashing.
Edge flashing
Drip edge is added where it was left off to protect the deck edge.
Cap flashing
Cap flashing on masonry is reset into the mortar joint so the top edge of the step flashing stays covered.
Related service
Roof Flashing Repair Palisades Park, NJ
Roof flashing repair ranges from resetting a single loose piece to rebuilding a full sidewall. A lifted counter flashing on a masonry wall may only need resetting into the mortar joint, while a leaking sidewall usually means new step flashing, new shingles along the wall and some siding work. Ask the roofer which kind of repair your joint needs.
Not every flashing metal works in every spot. Copper outlasts most roofs, galvanized steel is durable and aluminum is light and easy to bend, though it corrodes in contact with wet masonry. Mixing copper with aluminum or galvanized metal in contact can cause corrosion, so the roofer matches the metal to what is already there.
Related service
Roof Valley Flashing Palisades Park, NJ
Valleys are the gutters of the roof surface, collecting water from both sides. Valleys are either open, with exposed metal, or closed, with shingles running through them. Either way, a self-adhered membrane should line the valley under everything else.
Leaves and needles that pile up in a valley hold water and wear the shingles or rust the metal. Uncut shingle corners can catch water and direct it under the roofing. A valley that leaks is generally rebuilt rather than patched.
Local help
Flashing Repair Near Me
Flashing repairs in Palisades Park are common on houses with dormers, additions and second-story walls rising above lower roofs. Across Palisades Park and nearby communities including Leonia, Ridgefield Park, Ridgefield and Fort Lee, the age of the house and the number of roof-to-wall joints decide how much flashing work is likely, so a close look at every joint is worth asking for.
For flashing repair in Palisades Park, NJ or nearby towns like Leonia, Ridgefield Park, Ridgefield and Fort Lee, call (551) 348-3807 to reach a roofer who covers your street.
How the weather here affects roofs around Palisades Park
Winters here are long and cold, with snow on the roof for weeks at a time and plenty of nights below freezing. Heat escaping from the attic melts snow on the upper roof, and the water refreezes at the colder eaves, building ice dams that push water up under the shingles. Strong coastal storms push rain into every weak spot at the flashing and valleys. That is why roof repair in Palisades Park is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why not wait
Smaller repairs
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Local knowledge
Roofers in Palisades Park know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Know what happens next
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Flashing Repair questions
What is a kickout flashing?
Kickout flashing sits where a roof eave dies into a sidewall. It turns water that runs down the step flashing outward into the gutter instead of letting it pour behind the siding. Missing kickouts are a common cause of hidden wall rot.
Why does flashing need to be woven with the shingles?
Step flashing is a series of small L-shaped pieces, one for each course of shingles along a wall. That layering means every piece sheds water onto the shingle below it, the same way the shingles shed water down the roof. A single long strip of metal along a wall cannot do that and tends to channel water behind the shingles.
Can flashing be repaired without replacing the roof?
Most flashing problems are fixed without touching the rest of the roof. The roofer removes the shingles and siding along the joint, installs new flashing and reshingles that strip. If the roof is near the end of its life, it can make sense to replace flashing as part of a reroof instead.
Will caulk fix leaking flashing?
A bead of caulk may hold for a season or two, but it will fail. Sun and temperature swings crack it, and water gets behind it again, sometimes trapped where it rots wood faster. A proper repair replaces the metal so it sheds water without depending on sealant.
How do I know if my flashing is leaking?
Leaks near walls, dormers, skylights or valleys are the strongest sign. 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 (551) 348-3807 to reach a roofer.
More questions? Call (551) 348-3807
Related services
Chimney Flashing Repair
Fixing leaks around the chimney with new flashing set into the mortar joints, instead of another coat of tar.
Learn moreRoof Leak Repair
Stopping water at the pipe boots, flashing, valleys and nail holes where roofs actually leak, before wet decking and insulation turn into rot.
Learn moreSkylight Repair
Fixing leaking, fogged or cracked skylights and the flashing around them, after sorting out whether the water is a leak or condensation.
Learn moreRoof Vent Repair
Repairing cracked pipe boots, broken box vents, loose ridge vents, seized turbines and exhaust hoods, before a small crack soaks the attic.
Learn more
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Call (551) 348-3807 to talk to a roofer serving Palisades Park, NJ.