Custom flashing is one of the most highly critical but most commonly overlooked parts of your roofing system. Flashing protects portions of the roof, which are most susceptible to water intrusion, against chimneys, vents, and skylights. Flashing helps avoid roof leaks and will help in maintaining the life of a roof by enabling the water to move away from these sensitive areas. In this article, we explain what custom flashing is and why it is important, with how expert installation can protect your home from water damage.

What Is Custom Flashing?

Flashing is a thin material-usually made of metal like aluminum, copper, or galvanized steel that’s installed around areas of your roof where water might otherwise seep through. These are the areas around roof and wall intersections, around roof penetrations such as chimneys, dormers, skylights, and plumbing vents. Custom flashing is tailored to the exact size and requirements of your roof to fit perfectly and provide you with the best protection possible. Pre-fabricated flashing may not always fit as perfectly and seal as well as custom flashing can, since it’s made to accommodate the general features of a house.

Why Custom Flashing is Important for Your Roof

Water is probably one of the biggest enemies to the integrity of any roofing system. Poor flashing, or no flashing at all, can make it a lot easier for water to seep its way into different areas, causing leaks to happen, and even rot and structural damage. Thereby, custom flashing works as a barrier to guide water away from such points so that moisture cannot penetrate the underlayment of your roof. This is most crucial around items such as chimneys, where water could collect and cause extensive damage over periods of time. Custom flashing is also made to endure extremes in the weather to protect long into the future against rain, snow, and ice.

Common Areas Requiring Custom Flashing

There are a number of areas of roofs where custom flashing is usually required to stay watertight. These would include things like the bottom of the chimneys, where flashing is installed around the chimney to prevent water from leaking between the chimney and the roof. Other areas include skylights, which need flashing at their junction with the roof to avoid possible leakage. Still, other areas are those where roof valleys occur, meaning where two planes of roof meet; these are highly prone to water accumulation, so custom flashing becomes essential in this area. Other common areas where flashing is installed include dormer windows, plumbing vents, and roof edges.

Types of Materials Used in Custom Flashing

The materials used in custom flashing are usually tough and able to withstand harsh weather conditions. Aluminum is among the most commonly used metals because it is lightweight, does not rust, and is cheap. Another popular choice for custom flashing is copper, known for its durability and attractive patina which develops over time. The copper flashing does cost a bit more than aluminum; however, the longevity makes it well worth the investment. Galvanized steel can also be used for flashing, offering strength and resistance to corrosion.

Why Choose Sherak Ltd for Custom Flashing Installation?

At Sherak Ltd, we design and install flashing in custom sizes to keep your roof leak-free and well-protected. With over a decade of experience, our team is agile at creating on-site custom flashing solutions for all sorts of roof configurations. Be it for a new roof installation or replacement of damaged flashing; we use high-quality materials coupled with excellent craftsmanship to ensure long-lasting results. We service the GTA, York Region, Simcoe Region, and Kawartha Lake Region.