It Is Very Common For Water To Leak At a Valley
A roof valley is where two sloped roofs meet on a home. This is the point where stormwater will collect and flow into your custom gutter and downspout system. The way the valley is constructed in a shingle roof installation is critical. When improperly installed and flashed, valleys pose a major risk for serious leaking problems. Though valleys are not considered a roofing penetration, they are still required to be flashed and waterproofed.
As you read this article, you will understand that a valley must include properly installed flashing done by a roofing specialist along the entire area. Below we dive further into this issue so you can have a better visual of why valleys will leak and become such a problem.
What Are Common Mistakes when flashing a valley?
The strategy for flashing a valley on your roof is the same whether the roof material is:
Roof leaks in many different places are common. However, homeowners contact us all the time about water leaking into their home around valleys. The leak is usually caused by flashing at the valley area being improperly installed or nonexistent all together. This sloppy work is usually done by inexperienced roofers or general contractors. The best way to avoid leaks all together is to hire a professional roofing contractor. The most efficient way to repair a leaking valley is to install valley flashing. A high percentage of valleys are not flashed let alone flashed improperly because these roof repair companies don’t know the basics. Or perhaps they do know exactly what they are doing, but decided to cut corners at the homeowners expense. Regardless of what went wrong, when a valley is left exposed the risk of damage inside your home is high.
What Constitutes Proper Flashing At a Valley
Correct valley flashing is not difficult to achieve. In fact, it is quite simple for professional roof contractors to produce a reliable valley flashing installation. Valley flashing is simple to understand. Its a this piece of metal that is installed prior to the final roofing material. It takes the exact shape of the valley and runs its entire length. This will give stormwater a definitive path as it travels down your roof and into the gutter and downspout system. Most the time a GC will weave the shingles together at a valley. Which is exactly what shingle manufacturers recommend not to do. Now maybe on a steeper slope that will hold up for a little while. But with a slow slope, water is going to spend more time on the roof which gives it more time to penetrate through.
Roofing Specialist vs General Contractors
The first mistake anyone can make is hiring an inexperienced roofer or general contractor to work on your roof. They are notorious among professionals for cutting cost and not fully completing the job. Installing roof flashing is critical in keeping a house dry. An experienced roof contractor will flash all vulnerable areas around home correctly because they care about the quality of their works outcome. Especially in the long run also. Majority of roof leaks at valleys because of improper or nonexistent flashing. A commonly made mistake is weaving the shingles together in the valley. This technique is easy to perform and allows general contractors to cut cost and corners. Leaving the final product looking good to a homeowner who isn’t familiar with the installation.