Q & A - How to Repair a Roof

The flashing at the top of th awning dormer roof doesn't cover the nails or seal-strip in the shingles below, what should I do?

Kent asked, "I have what appears to be a non-standard flashing at the top of the awning dormer roof that does not cover the nails or seal-strip in the shingles below (inadequate head lap). The nail heads in the flashing are also not sealed. What is your advice on how this should be done?"

Kent, this is not a real big problem but you should have this repaired. Using personal safety equipment while on the roof, I would remove the metal termination flashing.

On the ground, I would sand it down and paint it the trim color of the house. Home Depot has a GAF shingle called Timberline. The color looks to me like, a Weathered Wood or maybe Driftwood. Take a piece of your roof shingle and buy one bundle of shingles that matches. Pick up a small box of 1 1/4″ composition roofing nails. roofing screws with washers 1 1/2 ” a package of hook blades for a utility knife and a tube of roofing cement.

Add a course of shingle across the whole top covering the seal at the exposure line and use 4 comp nails per shingle. Cut off excess at the top edge of the roof with the hook blade knife. Re-install the metal termination flashing, bending it a little more to fit properly and using the screws, fasten down each panel of metal. Screw the panels down at the lower edge as before. At the overlap use the roofing cement and lay a bed of cement one inch wide. Have the next panel of metal cover the cement. Lap of the metal panels should be about six inches. Repeat the process installing one screw about every foot. Fasten the vertical side of the metal to the fascia and this will be a clean and fine job. Note the area where the valleys meet. It is hard to see but a shingle may be needed here also.

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