How To Install Roof Drip Edge Flashing

There are several layers within a proper roofing job that are necessary to provide the most protection confronting water damage. Of all of them, the first line of defense is to install drip edge flashing. Unfortunately, many contractors tend to fail this step.

The elimination of this installation tin finish up being your future nightmare. So, if yous are re-roofing your firm, be sure to need a drip border. If your roof is already finished (sans baste edge), you tin still do a baste edge retrofit installation.

What Is Drip Edge Flashing?

Drip edging is a strip of flashing that is practical to the edge of roofing prior to the installation of other items. It is designed to protect the roof'south capsule from water damage caused by rain, snow, or ice beingness blown or rolling back beneath the border of the shingles.

When placed on the eaves side of a roof, the drip edge volition preclude capillary action h2o damage caused by surface tension. When placed on the rakes' side, it protects the capsule from wind driven (or forced) rain blowing back into the capsule.

Why Y'all Need a Roof Drip Edge

Without the installation of a drip edge, water can wick into the edges of the roof sheathing and cause the roof to develop rot and/or mold. In worse cases, a leak will develop in the ceiling or along the walls.

Although information technology is not the intention, drip edge flashing will also provide protection for the fascia lath. Because the drip edge directs the water directly down and into the gutters, the back of the fascia is protected from excessive moisture. This helps to extend the life of the wood.

Another benefit that wasn't intended but has been a useful outcome from installing a drip edge is that it prevents rodents, squirrels, and birds from being able to access the attic space via the builder'southward gap. If you have e'er had a family of squirrels living in your attic, y'all tin can appreciate this extra bonus.

Why Doesn't My Roof Take a Drip Edge?

If your house is like many, you may detect that you lot do not have drip border flashing installed. Frequently the common practice is to go out out the drip edge and recoup by installing asphalt roof shingles and so that they hang over the edge by an inch or 2.

This has been a common practice that is becoming less and less popular. Information technology is now more oftentimes understood that a roof needs this extra protection. In 2022 the Internation Code Quango inverse things to reflect the requirement of drip edging on all asphalt roofs.

Parts of Roof Drip Edge Flashing

How to Install Drip Edge Flashing to a New Roof

To install a drip edge on a newly constructed roof or on a re-roofing chore, attach the drip edge along the roof's eaves showtime. The roof leg should extend a minimum of ii" dorsum onto the roof sheathing. While the vertical leg should exist placed 1/four" – i/2" away from the fascia.

Omitting the spacing between the fascia and the drip edge is a common mistake that contractors oftentimes make. It is non uncommon for them to place the drip border correct against the fascia.

Doing this will crusade surface tension water to roll back onto the fascia. The end consequence is rapidly deteriorating wood. So, make sure you have that gap.

Next, scroll out and install the underlayment or felt. The proper layering is for the membrane to exist installed over the baste edge at the eaves and nether the baste border for the rakes.

Video demonstrating water run-off without baste border and with proper placements vs incorrect placement.

Corners and Joints:

All joints should overlap by about ii inches including joints made at or near the corners.

Outside Corner Cuts

To make the exterior corner turns, place a straight cutting through the roof leg. Make sure that you are wrapping a minimum of two inches. For Florida residents, the requirements call for 4" overlaps.

Bend on the vertical leg and make certain the flap on the roof leg is on summit of the roof leg of the eaves.

Inside Corner Cuts

To make the inside corner turns, you will need to create an overlap that meets at the interior of the corner. That means that y'all will make cuts at the ends of two sections of drip edging and overlap the two at the juncture.

A mutual fault made by contractors is to place a straight cut down the roof leg (same as shown for the outer corner) and then bend the department into the corner. However, doing it this way leaves an exposed square of sheathing correct in the eye of the valley.

Although this section volition be covered with membrane, the valleys are one of the most vulnerable spots for water damage. Water run-off is very heavy in these locations and information technology is best to make cuts that prevent whatever exposure.

To brand proper cuts and bends for the inner corners, place a cut line at the location where the roof leg meets the vertical leg.

Cuts for the Rake Side

Afterwards the membrane is installed, attach the baste edge to the rakes making sure to start at the bottom and work your way towards the peak. This ensures that a step effect is accomplished which will allow the water run-off to movement correctly.

At that place are a few recommendations out there for making the bends and the cuts at the pinnacle of the rake side. I accept experimented with several simply found my method to be far easier and merely as constructive.

To do the rakes, I align my baste edge piece upwardly with the peak and make a cut directly upwards through the vertical leg. Then, I brand the bend on the roof leg over the peak.

Next, I place a line downwardly the other side of the vertical leg, over again using the the peak seam as a guide. Then, I snip off the kick-out that crosses over that line. This allows the overlap section to fit flush below the front end baste border piece.

Finally, I slip the overlap beneath the first cut and utilize a thin dewdrop of 100% silicone along the seam for extra assurance.

Types of nails to utilise:

For most applications, the use of galvanized roofing nails is the best do. Always use the appropriate nails and/or adhesive that is required by your local code.

 Where to place nails:

Nails should exist placed along ii separate rows in a staggered "W" pattern. The maximum spacing is 12" on centre. Nevertheless, 10" on center is a better spacing and will give a better performance.

If you live in an area where loftier winds are an upshot (i.east Florida), the recommended spacing is 4" on heart. This spacing varies from one location to another. So, be sure to cheque your local code requirements.

Install Drip Border Flashing to Erstwhile Roof

When installing drip border to a finished roof, the process is the same with i not-so-tiny addition. Ideally, you want to exist able to nail the drip edge in place without doing any damage to the roof shingles.

This often means that the lower run (starter shingles and 1st course) have to be removed or loosened enough to allow access for tools. Removal will provide the easiest install for the baste edge.

If removal of the roof shingles is not an choice, you tin can all the same go some good protection past doing a cement attachment. Doing this is a subpar installation method to using the above method, and does not encounter the standards set by the International Code Council of using mechanical attachments, but is nevertheless meliorate than having no drip edge at all.

To use this method, y'all will demand to loosen the lower run of shingles with a putty knife. So, skid the roof drip border under the shingles (and the tar paper on the eaves). Identify a bead of covering cement along the meridian edge of the drip edging and printing down on the loose shingles.

To preclude causing harm to the roof shingles, it is ameliorate to do this when the temperatures are warm plenty to make the shingles pliable. In cold temps, the roof shingles become stiff and brittle and will suspension very easily.

In addition, the warmer temps will allow the loosened shingles to reseal themselves in a quicker fashion. If you lot have to wait out the cold weather for the seal to retake, you run the risk of wind impairment in the interim.

So, endeavour to time all repair work that requires lifting or moving roof shingles to coincide with temps around seventy degrees. This includes shingle repairs and/or installing gutter guards.

How Many Wrong Things Do You Meet?

I wanted to include examples of some mistakes that you want to avoid and explain why these will cause issues. In the paradigm above, the handyman is doing several things incorrectly.

First of all, the drip edge that he is using has a vertical leg that is fashion as well short to fit inside the gutter. This, in and of itself, isn't necessarily wrong, just it is a combination of mistakes that make it a bad install.

The whole point of installing drip edges is to straight the water into the gutters and abroad from the fascia and firm foundation. To correct this situation, make sure to purchase drip border flashing with a long enough vertical leg to accomplish the gutter. If the gutters take been installed too depression, they may need to be raised and corrected.

If you find yourself in a situation where y'all are using drip edging that can non accomplish your gutters, y'all can notwithstanding increase your protection by using the proper baste border to fascia distance. Unfortunately, this is the next fault that he is making.

He is placing the drip edge right against the fascia. If spaced properly, the baste border would still provide some protection despite the gutter issue. Just installed this manner is going to result in surface tension water running down the face of the fascia lath and behind the gutter.

To correct this mistake, the baste border should be pulled forward by 1/2". This will assistance proceed the run-off from reaching the fascia board and will permit it to baste downwardly into the gutter.

Although this is non as proficient as having the drip edge inside the gutter, information technology is far better than the way he is doing it. However, it still exposes the fascia to windblown pelting which will also run down behind the gutter.

The next thing that merely jumps out to me is that he is not creating the proper overlap at the corners. You lot can see that he is snipping the corner affluent with the eaves side and is doing the same with the rakes' side.

What is going to happen in this situation is the rain is going to run downward the corner and wick back between the space where these two sections meet. You should never, never, never barrel two seams up against each other when doing any blazon of flashing.

To correct this situation, make sure there is at least two" of drip edge available to wrap around the corners. (more if your situation or code merits information technology). Learn how to do the proper cuts to make the wraps. Practise on some scraps if needed.

Situations You May Face:

In a perfect earth, the drip border would exist installed prior to roofing shingles.  The vertical leg would extend downward into the gutters and not have whatsoever face nails or screws.  It would exist spaced one/2" abroad from the fascia board and be supported by 1/2" furring strips.

In an imperfect earth, yous are probable to discover that retrofitting baste edging presents you with some questionable situations. For instance, how exercise you install drip edge flashing effectually gutter clips that are in the style?

Some may tell you to make two relief cuts effectually the gutter clips and fold the tab up. I don't like that method considering it interrupts the continuous bulwark desired. There is no mode to overlap these cuts and water can work its mode behind the exposed edges.

Instead, I prefer to place the clip screws through both the gutter and the baste edge. I ever swap out the quondam screw with a fresh one (roofing screws with sealing washers) and then use a dollop of 100% silicone over the screw for extra security.

Things to Remember

The baste edge should always be installed with the flashing under the felt on the eaves side and over felt on the rakes unless local code dictates otherwise. A few places (Florida) may crave an alternative way of drip border installation.

By and large, they want it installed so that the baste border must get over the underlayment and and so be cemented to the shingle's starter form and/or tar paper.

The best do is to always install the drip edge and then that it is inside the gutter. The whole purpose is to direct the h2o into the gutters. Information technology should never be installed outside the gutter (i.east against the fascia lath).

For proper water drainage, the drip edge on the rakes should always overlap the baste edge on the eaves. This works out correctly if you lot do the eaves start. Then, finish by installing the drip border flashing on the rakes.

Employ the boom spacing and blueprint dictated by your code and/or location. Avert placing nails inside 1 1/ii" of the roof border. E'er prepare the nails back close to the edge of the roof leg.

In some locations, information technology is adequate for the roof shingles to line up with the baste edge. However, when permitted it is best to accept the roof shingles hang over the baste edge past a minimum of 1/4" and a maximum of 3/4".  When combined with the baste edge spacing, the shingles volition clear the fascia by 3/four″ – 1 1/four″ total.

Retrieve that every region, city, or local may have slightly different requirements. It is best to double cheque these instruction against your local lawmaking.

Final Comments

Regardless of the type of baste edge that you lot use, or whether you are installing drip edge on a new roof or are retrofitting an old roof, yous should e'er follow your local lawmaking requirements. In add-on, you should follow the shingle manufacturer'south instructions for installation.

Go on in listen that going exterior of the shingle manufacturer's requirements tin void your warranty. You want to counterbalance whatsoever situational adjustments against that risk.

Did I miss something? Drib a question or comment beneath and I'll reply or reply.

Source: https://www.queenbeeofhoneydos.com/install-drip-edge/

Posted by: byrdthany1971.blogspot.com

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