I can almost hear the steady drip, drip, drip from a leaky roof right now, and it’s not because the shingles are not doing their job…it’s because the flashing job on the roof was not installed properly.
It happens a lot in LA, contractors cutting corners on the flashing to save a couple of bucks and a little time on the job. They’re thinking it doesn’t rain much here so what’s the big deal. Well, if it’s your house and it’s raining like it is today, I can assure you it is a big deal.
The people who put your roof on have been paid and are long gone while you’re now running around with pots and pans trying to catch all the drips before they do any damage to the floor or carpet.
And trying to find the source of the leak can drive you crazy, because water coming in from leaky flashing can travel anywhere from 1 to 20 feet, or more…from where the flashing is failing.
It’s the stuff you usually can’t see (the flashing), that’s where the water gets in. So if you’re putting on a new roof, or repairing the one you have, make sure the contractors you’re using specify where the flashing is used and how they will apply it. Check how they will flash an outside corner of a chimney or wall, you don’t want them nailing the flashing to the brick wall and hoping caulk will keep the water out.
There are lots of different types of flashing and processes, so be sure that the contractor and crew you’ve hired are educated and know the proper installation techniques specific to the roof and materials they are installing.
At the end of the day, it’s simply low quality workmanship that results in problems for most roofs and the reason why at some point in the life of the roof, they start leaking. So make sure you get a qualified pro to install your new roof or repair your old one, it will save you a lot of grief in the long run.
The Crew at Aim Higher Construction, general contractors in Los Angeles.
