What a flashing is
A flashing resolves the transitions on a roof: meetings with walls, chimneys, lanterns, mansards, skylights, parapets and ridges. Each flashing is a piece folded from zinc or copper sheet, designed specifically for the point where it sits, with a lower drip and an upper tab that secure the joint.
Why it is the detail that fails the most
Flashing work is one of the hallmarks of a well-built roof: invisible when done well, very visible when it fails. Most roof infiltrations originate not in the main sheet, but in poorly trimmed transition points. A well-sized, well-fixed flashing is the difference between a roof that lasts 50 years with no significant maintenance and one that gives trouble in its first winter.
Types of flashing we make
We work wall flashings (meeting between roof and vertical facade), chimney flashings (perimeter and ridge), parapet flashings (at the horizontal finish of parapets), ridge flashings (top line of the roof), mansard flashings and transition flashings between planes of different pitch. Each piece is folded in the workshop to the specific geometry of its location.
Targeted replacement
On existing roofs we intervene in a targeted way to replace degraded flashings, with no need to touch the rest of the roof. It is often the intervention that avoids a full refurbishment: a properly installed new flashing can significantly extend the service life of a roof that is otherwise still in good condition.
For the wider context, see also the drainage system and general flashing.