roof flashing brooklyn

Proper Roof Flashing

One of the largest causes of leaks in roofing in Brooklyn and Queens that we see are the areas where the roof intersects with walls, skylights, pipes, vents, and more. These penetration points can cause a world of problems if cheap materials or improper flashing methods are used to seal off these intersections. It’s important that as a homeowner you know the correct way of getting it done when it comes time to replace your roof, so you can ensure it gets handled properly.

Ice and Water Shield

It’s important to install a leakproof barrier directly onto the roof deck and slightly up the intersection as a last line of defense in case water get’s beneath the flashing. Many contractors still use tar paper, which can still cause leaks where the nail penetrates the paper. We choose to use GAF’s Ice and Water Shield in these vulnerable points to make sure it’s sealed properly and the wood below is protected. It is self sealing like a run flat tire, so when a nail goes through, it seals around the nail not allowing any water to pass through to the wood.

Aluminum Flashing

On most intersection, with the exception of vent pipes, the intersecting point is protected by a bent piece of aluminum called an aluminum flash. This sits right into the intersection so that if water get’s between the shingle and the intersection, it doesn’t go directly to the wood. Where the flashing goes up the wall, it can be sealed into harder surfaces like brick, or tucked underneath for softer materials like vinyl siding.

Pipe Collars

When a vent pipe is coming out of the roof, we must use a pipe collar to flash it properly since aluminum won’t fit around a small round intersection. Many roofing contractors will use a rubber pipe collar. Over time, like all rubber, it becomes dry rotted and cracks, allowing water to get through. At Five Borough, we opt to use a pipe collar made of Neoprene, the same material used for wet suits. It won’t wear out and crack over time, ensuring you’re pipes are sealed up properly from the start.

Shingles/Cap Sheet

Once the intersection is covered with ice and water shield and proper flashing, then the shingles are cut to go right into the intersection where the aluminum flash is bent. The shingles are installed as they usually are, with nails securing them on top, and a tar strip sealing it to the row below on the bottom.

Roofing 101: Ice Dams – Cause and Effect

Happy New Year from the roofers at Five Borough Remodeling! Winter has finally reared its head in Queens and Brooklyn NY, and with it comes a long list of preventative measures homeowners must take to protect themselves against the bitter cold. When it comes to winters in NY, one thing homeowners must consider is the affect ice dams can have on their roof.

What is an ice damn? Simply put, an ice dam occurs when a layer of thick ice builds up along the eaves of your roof, effectively causing a “dam” whereby water cannot pass. If you’ve ever driven by a house in Queens or Brooklyn and noticed a thick layer of snow and ice along the edge of the roof, and the rest of the roof is melted and visible from the street, that would be an ice dam. Many don’t realize that this can have potentially damaging effects to your home, but before we get into those, let’s look at what causes ice dams.

Cause: Poor Attic Insulation: Most roofers will tell you that the root cause of ice dams is poor insulation, and they wouldn’t be wrong in saying that. When you’re attic isn’t insulated properly, heat from your home escapes into the attic, which will heat the plywood of your roof and melt the snow above it. Eventually that water makes its way past the exterior wall and over your soffit, where there’s no more indoor heat to keep it from refreezing. There it will refreeze above the soffit, creating an ice layer along the edge of the roof.

Cause: Poor Roof Ventilation: What many roofers will neglect to tell you is that ventilation plays a big role in all of this as well. When a roof is ventilated properly, it can air out any excess heat that gets trapped in the attic during the winter, preventing the melting from occurring in the first place. This will ensure the snow will melt evenly on the roof, and not only on the top where it will refreeze along the edges.

Ideally, your attic should be the same temperature as the outside of the home at all times during the year, even in the summer. However, an overwhelming percentage of roofs do not have proper ventilation, which causes excessive heat during the summers and ice damming during the winters.

Effects: Ultimately, an ice dam will prevent water from draining off the roof. It’s called a dam for a reason: water will end up sitting right behind it instead of draining off the edge. Any roofer will tell you that where water sits, it will eventually permeate and leak through. Now think about what sits directly below the edges of your roof: your wall cavity. If you’re lucky it may just rot out the plywood along the edge of the roof, but if neglected over time it will make it’s way down into your wall cavity, which can cause your drywall to become not so dry, and it can even lead to mold or electrical fires in severe cases.

Solution: Preventing ice dams is very simple. Check your attic insulation to make sure you’re at least at an R-value of at least R38, or about 13” of fiberglass insulation from your drywall ceiling to the top of your attic insulation. If you’re at any less, call up Five Borough to come and lay down some extra insulation so your keeping heat in. That will not only prevent ice dams, but save you valuable heating dollars during the winter. While we’re there, we’ll check to see if your roof is vented properly, which will help you save energy and be more comfortable in the home year round. Give us a call if you have any questions!

Winter’s Right Around The Corner – Time to Fix Your Roof!

As summer winds down and winter looms in the not-so-distant future, homeowners will start to scramble to complete the home improvement projects they had set out to do at the beginning of the year. Its for this reason that roofing contractors and construction companies find the fall to be their busiest time of year, and if you haven’t done so yet, it’s a wise idea to start getting estimates now so you can complete the project before the season ends. Winters in NYC are no joke, and roofing contractors in Queens are going to be very busy over the next few months!

If it’s a roofing job that you are going to take on, it’s always best to get the job done before winter. With all the crazy weather New York City winters bring, if you try to complete a roofing project in January, you’re likely to get delayed in the event of inclement weather. Besides, the weather conditions in New York and Queens are optimal for roof repair during the fall months because of the cooler temperatures.

With winter in mind, be sure to ask your roofing contractors to show you what they do to prevent ice dams from forming on your roof. Ice dams are the leading cause of leaks in roofs during the winter months, and they can cost you thousands of dollars if your roof isn’t installed with the right materials and methods. Make sure to ask about underlayment the roofers use as well as what type of ventilation they install to keep temperature evenly distributed underneath your ply boards, a key factor in preventing ice dams.

If you’re considering getting your roof repair done before the winter, be sure to call Five Borough Remodeling today to get a free inspection on your roof, and free seamless gutters with any roof install! We install only the best materials with the latest installation methods, and we do it at an affordable price!

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