Most roof leaks do not come from bad shingles. They come from a handful of details that are easy to rush and impossible to see once the job is done. These are the six we never cut corners on.
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1. Step flashing and kickout flashing
Where a roof slope meets a wall, each course of shingles gets its own piece of L-shaped step flashing, woven in with the shingles. At the bottom of that wall, a kickout flashing turns the water out into the gutter instead of letting it run down behind the siding. A missing kickout is one of the most common causes of rotted wall sheathing we find.
2. Valleys
Valleys carry the most water on the roof. We install leak barrier down every valley before the shingles go on, and we cut and seal the valley so water has a clean path off the roof.
3. Starter strips and drip edge
The first row of shingles at the eaves and rakes is where wind gets under a roof. Proper starter strips have an adhesive line that seals those edge shingles down. Drip edge underneath keeps water off the fascia and out of the decking.
4. Nailing
Every shingle manufacturer specifies where nails go and how many. Nails placed above the nailing zone, or too few per shingle, lead to shingles blowing off in the first strong wind, and can void the manufacturer's wind warranty. Once the next course covers them, nobody can see the mistake.
5. New vent boots and flashing
Plumbing vent boots and chimney flashing get replaced on every roof we install, not reused. Old boots are usually already cracked from the sun, and reused flashing is where many "new roof" leaks start.
6. Ventilation
We check the attic and balance intake and exhaust on every replacement. Without it, the new shingles cook from underneath and wear out years early.
Other things we do on every job
Gutters and storm work
The same care goes into gutter installs, where pitch and hanger spacing decide whether the gutters work, and into storm restoration, where documentation decides whether the claim covers everything.
We are a family-owned roofing company in Justin. Call (855) 741-ROOF for a free inspection.