Roofing job questions about flashing


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Old 04-21-17, 07:34 PM
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Roofing job questions about flashing

Hi, I'm planning on hiring a contractor to redo my roof (shingles) and before getting with the salesman I want to know what I'm looking for, specifically about flashing where second story walls meet the roof and where the frame chimney comes through the roof. The house walls except for gable ends are T1-11 and the chimney has Hardieplank lap siding over sheathing.

1) What are they likely to want to do about flashing at the walls and chimney? It seems like the siding should at least be pried up at the base so new flashing can be installed under the siding and behind the house wrap. I've heard some stories about "counter-flashing" which to me sounded like new flashing on top of the old flashing and just caulked under the base of the siding, which doesn't sound like good practice to me. Should I insist on a different method or just let them do their thing?

2) Should I insist they use step flashing interleaved with the shingles, rather than a continuous length of flashing?

Part of my concern is that 2-story homes are kind of rare in my area so the roofers may not be very experienced with flashing at roof-wall intersections. Same goes with chimneys.
 
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Old 04-21-17, 08:06 PM
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Sometimes existing step flashing can be reused. If they attempt to pry on your siding they will likely destroy it. Some roofers will do a really nice job on flashing, others will really do a hack job, so you never know what you will get. Asking questions as to how they plan to deal with it will give you a feel for who knows what they are doing. Many roofers don't want to touch the siding as they aren't carpenters and don't want to open up a can of worms by wrecking the siding... can't blame them. I wouldn't want roofers doing much beyond roofing... most aren't capable of it.

Don't expect them to get it behind the wrb... that's easy to do in new construction, not so easy on a reroof when the siding isn't coming off.

Sometimes the siding can be cut on the wall, nice and straight, about 4" above the roof so that step shingles can be used, then z-flashing and a new 1x4 act as the counterflashing.

On a chimney it's hard to say with no photos.

Yes, insist on step flashing, not one long wall angle flashing.
 
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Old 04-22-17, 07:23 AM
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Argh, sounds like a catch-22.

Sounds like I or a carpenter should try to deal with the siding first (remove, loosen, or cut it back), then have the roofer come to install the step flashing and shingles, then reinstall the siding.

Is it really even possible to interleave shingles with existing step flashing?
 
 

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