Modern roofing systems are no longer the same as the old wood shakes that used to grace the homes of nobles and common folks back in the day. Nowadays, all roofing manufacturers are striving to provide modern roofs with an impervious structure that can withstand rain and storms without a problem.
Flashing plays a crucial role in all this. While providing a watertight seal to keep rainwater from infiltrating the inner structure of your roof and damaging it beyond repair, it also prevents damage to the rest of your home, ensuring that the water is distributed efficiently and channeled toward the edge of your roof, to be taken to the ground by your gutter system.
The Main Role of Flashing
The structure of flashing installation is easy to understand but much harder to implement. It basically involves a metal or rubber structure that is placed at the seams and edges of your roofing structure, as well as along delicate areas, such as those between your roof and chimney or where two different sides of your roof collide.
The main role of good flashing is to protect your roof and home from water damage. When the rain falls, it will find its way to the valleys of your sloped roof as well as the edges of any flat roofing system you might have on some of the structures of your home or even atop your entire dwelling. The flashing will then keep the water out completely, protecting your underlayment and decking system, so that your roof will easily be able to protect your home during a storm.
Types of Flashing Materials
Flashing comes in many shapes and sizes, some more effective than others. Rubber and aluminum flashing are considered to be the best. Rubber in particular has the necessary structure and qualities to keep water away by flexibly wrapping itself around the areas that are most vulnerable to water damage, and by providing a completely watertight seal.
Aluminum can be equally as effective, although along with other metal materials, it can be somewhat less effective and lighter. Depending on the climate you live in, however, the storms in your area might not be strong enough to affect your metal flashing. Moreover, metal is a lot easier to install, so you shouldn’t have much difficulty, if repairs are required.
How the Best Flashing Can Benefit Your Roof
The best flashing installation can withstand just about any kind of abuse. From hail to snow storms and ice dams, the elements can be quite cruel to your roof’s flashing, so that it’s often the first element that goes, requiring a lot of repairs over the years.
However, with the help of roofing Panama City FL contractors and the best quality flashing, you can avoid all these problems quite effectively. Quality flashing can protect your roof for decades without needing too many repairs or too much maintenance work. As a result, your roof will not only look more modern, but it will also be prepared for an age where modern looking, practical elements hold the key to true durability.
