what do we need to know about roof flashings?

[DRJR]

You should be able to strip your roof and install the new flashing in less than a day. Providing there is no major repairs to do. Repair areas are usually around the chimney.

I would strip and finish one side at a time. Have a big tarp on stand by, because it always wants to rain when you do this.

I don't know about your neck of the woods. Around here you can get lead flashing at a good lumber yard. Home Cheapo or Lowe's will give you a blank look if you ask for that stuff.

[Gothichome]

Phill, my thoughts on those facia cut outs, your home once had a soffit to hide the rafter tails. Installed on an angle you would still get that A&C open rafter eave look.

[phil]

I guess the rafter tails were probably all cut at this angle and then later during roofing maybe they were cut square. there is a double layer of 1x4 nailed to the rafter ends to which the present gutters are attached.

I guess Ill just leave the cutouts and gutters and all that for now and worry about the roofing and flashing.. I can see spending some time on the eves later. in some places they took up some of the T and G and put plywood so I can see some ply looking up standing beside the house. If it were painted you;d hardly notice. I could probably cover the ply with thin T and G to hide that it's plywood.

I was considering if I should just try to strip about 6' but then I'd be stripping roof with some of the new roofing installed and yea maybe it's best just to go for it and rip one side off. install some felt with staples, maybe use some 2x4 nailed down to hold it from any wind and then continue with my shingles in piecemeal as I get the time and energy to get up there.
I think Ill build a scaffold if I don't hire a roofer, it'll be less scary. the guy that was coming yesterday got delayed till today, so Ill see what happens there. Meantime I'll shop and see if I can get other materials I'll need on craigslist, if not I'll buy new.
Phil

[phil]

I met with another roofer. He suggested I pul the little strips off the fascia board that are up against the roofing. they always seem to add these strips when re roofing. He sugested I take them off and go with a 4" flashing on the fascia board. he also suggested I loose the shingles as it would save on insurance if it weren't flammable.
Ive been thinking it over and considering it but I am thinking gee I have lots of full dimension fir 2x2. so maybe what i can do is loose the strip it has and replace it with the bulkier 2x2 then wrap the flashing down over it and maybe the flashing could be just over 2" so that the drip was just below my full dimension 2x2.
he also said the roofing paper I got a great deal on wasn't suitable. he said it is fiberglass and intended for flat roofs. I thik they lay it to protect the tar or something like that and not for waterproofing . anyway he recommended I use a newer membrane and that should buy me time as it can provide some waterproofing for up to a few months.

[phil]

Yesterday I got free from craigslist three alunimum scaffolds. problem is there is only the ramp part with the hooks. I think each is 7 feet by 2 feet wide or so.
the sides still seem to be costly. I can get the sides for under a hundred bucks but I guess I'd need six , plus the cross braces so I think a wood scaffold would still be cheaper - but so hard to move. I went from that freebie to another, a package of three tab shingles that arent' architectural ones. they will work for my starter strip. I'm challenging myself to get all the stuff I need from craigslist, either free or leftover stuff so I only need to buy new what I cant' find as leftovers.
I'm trying to think of a way I can build a wood scaffold that can be moved more easily. they can be rented for about 160 a month but I'd really like something that isn't costing me every day to reduce the pressure. meanwhile I'm going to focus on my back stairs. They look dangerous so I decided I better look after that before they fail and hurt someone.

[phil]

i had a week off and thought I'd get started but weather and shopping and prep delayed me a bit. I bought some 2x2" flashings for the gable ends. they are grey , that matches the roof but I might paint them to match the blood red fascia boards.

I was leaning towards putting a 2x2 strip along the top of the fascia board. most of the houses have this strip added, mine does but it is a bit iffy.. I have some 2x2 which Im thinking I might split to 1x2 so it doesn't stick out the full 2 inches, that will make the flashing lap over an inch above the fascia board on the roof deck.

I also got the drip edge flashing. it doesn't have that now..

I got a more appropriate roofing membrane that I will use. and I got a whole bunch of roof brackets. as it is now I have access to the troof via the porch and a ladder then I put 4 2x10 walking boards.. I will put more of them on the side I am stripping first. since i have to work in short periods I think I will break it into 1/4 at a time.

I went up and put a hook for my safety harness at the peak. I tried just using three links so I can gather more links as I work nearer the peak but i ordered the proper rope and a rope grab thing so I will be able to slide along the rope and adjust the length which will be safer and less awkward.

I tied ladders around the house so they can't fall over.. Its a boit overkill but all this is making me feel safer and I think I can get so I feel ok up there with the right equipment... just the walking boards were over 20 apiece and I bought 15 roof brackets, and could still use a few more. I was peeved at the cost of the boards so I went ot a lumberyard and got three fir 2x 12 but they were about 70 bucks. at least I can use the fir ones after. in hindsight the fir ones are a bit heavy but I guess they are stronger too.

I can work off the planks on the roof brackets to strip the deck , then when I paper I will work from the eves up. the brackets are designed so you can add them with the new roofing then you can unhook them and pound the nails flat after. so as I go up I can move my plank higher. at first with the roofing on I found it a bit hard to locate the rafters so I made a few holes before locating good anchor points but oh well a few nail holes won't hurt in the long run. its getting a new roof anyway.

I found I do have 2 layers already and it is so crumbly it has to be all stripped to the plywood. at first I thought it ws one layer and I could go over with a new layer but its too crumbly and that wouldn't make an acceptable job. Id' do that if it just had one layer of the thin three tab ones but it has to be stripped a third layer would be a waste of time and material.

when I put my hook on the top I stripped the roofing to see the plywood and I was surprised that the sheeting doesn't meet in the middle. There is about a 2 inch gap between the sheets near the peak. I guess this means I can install a ridge vent. I was under the assumption that I'd need to just use the square roof vents so I have to learn more about this to see if a ridge vent is practical or not.

I don't think I will strap and insulate to allow better venting , In a perfect world I think it would be better but I have to keep the costs down.

I'm learning as I go and part of that is feeling more confident that I can get up there now and to be tied off and to just get to the point where I am not feeling like a scared kitten way too high in a tree..

To others thinking of doing their own roof... I think you can but you do need to be tied off and in a harness and the walking boards with the roof brackets are a huge help on steep roofs. I can stand on the deck ( barely) but it is nice to at least always be near a place where you can get solid footing for a rest within a step or two.. or even to sit down on the planks to regain yourself.. Experienced roofers, rock climbers and painting acrobats may be able to work safely with less of the planks but if I weigh the cost against hiring out I can afford a few brackets and planks. My main safety net is to always wear a harness and to keep my teather short enough. Most of the work is on the roof deck in a situation where even if I fell I would not be hanging in my harness, I might slip and fall on the roof deck in my harness and that would be lass traumatic. . To hang in one would be a scary situation. Ill use the harness for high ladder work too but it's less likely I'll fall from a ladder. If I did I'd prefer to make a 911 call to get me out than to hit the ground. I've got my girlfriend spotting me so she'd at least call someone if that did happen. I'm keeping a knife handy so she can cut the ropes and move a ladder if needed to get under me and I am trying to solve any real dangers rather than taking chances.

I spent lots of time watching every utube video I could find. There are some good ones and I have picked up quite a few tips..

Im a big chicken when it comes to heights but I feel that most of it is just doing it safely.. it is possible to reduce the risk of a fall by using the harness and planks. it takes some getting used to just putting on the harness and toolbelt and getting comfortable up there.. and I am just going to take my time... doing smaller sections will reduce the time pressure as I wont' have more than about 1/4 of the roof open at any one time. with more experience I'll get more comfortable. in the beginning I was so scared I couldn't take more than 15 minutes without coming down for a rest.. now I'm able to sit on my roof planks and I'm able to breathe so I know I'm getting there.. bit of a slow start but it's ok.

[phil]

I put a few more planks on my roof so I now have a total of 7- 20 foot planks so I use my porch and ladder to get on the roof. 4 will stay where they are until the last. I put three more on the side I'm going to start stripping and that should be enough planks. Ill move those ones about as I go. My neighbor decided to have an outdoor karaoke party last weekend and so I can tell them Im building bleachers for the next one lol..

I'm waiting for my "rope grab" to come in but I got the rope for it. Its a big thick rope for the purpose. the rope grab will allow me to slide the grip point for my harness towards or away from the peak once I get it. for now i just have a strong rope with some loops that I gather on my big hook on the way up and take off as I go to lower heights. it works but it's a bit awkward.

maybe it's a bit of overkill but I figure if it keeps me safe and enables a big chicken like me to be able to do my roof it will be worthwhile. Ill just try to sell the roof brackets for a bit less once I'm finished and the harness and whatnot is good to have anyway. Ill use it when I get to painting.

Ill take a pic. I highly recommend the roof brackets to anyone who has a steep pitch. they nail in such a way that you can use them when applying new duride shingles and then you can unhook them from the nails and just drive the nails in and leave them. they are only about 14 bucks apiece or so , probably 10 in the US. I needed 3 per board so 27 brackets for 7 planks. I think you could do it with a lot less, part of it was I knew I'd be packing the materials up there and it just feels so much safer now I have something other than a 45 degree pitch and crumbly roofing material to stand on. a real roofer would laugh and wouldn't use so many planks I know, but for me this was a good option.

you can get adjustable ones for different pitches for about 20 bucks apiece and the ones I got are "60 degree" ones so they hold the planks with a bit of a slope but the slope is such that if I slid I'd slide towards the roof not off of it.
You can also hook the harness to the brackets as they are in themselves a pretty good anchor point. for those with even steeper roofs you can use the brackets and planks to support ladders that you can lie against the roof , tie down and crawl around on.

this guy is ona steeper roof, same basic idea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKOBwwKxYjY

These guys are being stupid. working on such a pitch without harnesses where one wrong move means almost certain death.. that's just dumb.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp_iUVoGIdA

[phil]

so I started ! yea me I went with stripping a section 16 x 18, where 18 is my eves to peak. Its almost 1/4 of the roof.

I was thinking about modifying a shovel but I broke down and bought the shingle stripper tool and was glad I did. Prying the shingles and anils off was easy Its the moving around the rooftop that is tiring for me I keep telling myself I'll build the muscles I need and evidently some haven't been used for a very long time lol..

I went with new style roofing membrane. Its meant to be put on with 1" nails with plastic caps about an inch in diameter. I did two rows and then had enough and had to return to work for a rest lol..

Yesterday I thought oh why don't I add some heavy felt paper along the eves since I didn't see this thin membrane doing a lot. so I bought that and asked the supplier if the felt paper should go under the membrane or over it and he said put the membrane on top of the felt near the eves and went on to say I don't really need the felt. The membrane meets code here without more. ( others in the midwest would probably use the stick on membrane near the eves.

If they add more they usually use a stick on membrane which is pricier. I just figured now is the chance even though the conditions of an ice dam are kind of rare here. It snows and it can snow lots, but usually melts before we have huge issues.

the roofing membrane looks kind of similar to tyvec. It is super hard to tear and designed to breath and it is grippier than Tyvec so better to walk on. It will perform like my shingles for the short term so If I don't cover up right away I should be ok for some rain. it'll be ok for up to a month or two in summer with just the membrane so that's a good reason to use it.

once the membrane is on then I can focus on my flashings and snap lines and try to get my new shingles on. once I get this section done the rest will be repeating what Ive done already. Honestly I may only get half done if I wan to take a summer holiday too but I will see.. I might get faster at it too. Its kind of a long boring description but Ill continue to make notes , someone doing their own roof for the first time might at least learn something from the stuff I get stuck on.
Really the only roofing I had done was when I was younger but there have been some changes to the materials and techniques since.

the walkg boards make it so much easier and safer. I think I kind of need them or I just couldn't stand on the roof near the eves. too scared. with the boards I found I could sit down and do a lot of the stripping which is easier than trying to stand on a 45 degree slope. Young fearless guys and pro roofers can do it that way with a harness but not me... I'm too chicken.

the roof brackets will go back on after the membrane as I lay the shingles. then I can see where to nail them. You nail them where the next row covers the brackets, then when you take them off you can unhook them and lift a shingle and pound the nails flush under the shingle. It might be possible to crawl around with a harness and nail gun and lay shingles without them but I think this is safer for an old guy
Phil

[Mick_VT]

Use scissors on the membrane
https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2018/0 ... he-jobsite

[phil]

lol I have this little bit of paper hanging out of the edge of the flashing and it is in such a place its so scary to get there. so Im standing on the ladder reaching up right near the peak and the scissors I have are made to separate for cleaning of course at this point I drop half of my scissor and now Im trying to cut using half a pair of not very sharp scissors like a knife.. frustrating.. lol..

I was hoping to get further than I did having a week off but it was so hot.. anyway I stripped 1/4 o the roof and used the walking boards and brackets to stand on to strip it. then I needed to take the boards off to do the membrane, then I needed to replace the wood strips and add the new flashings with my walking boards removed. I should have done the flashings during the old roofing stripping stage as working over the edge near the peak without them is too scary for me.

when I'm putting my new shingles , the brackets are made so you can nail them in such a way that the brackets can be unhooked from the nails and the nails are then just pounded in when you are done. so ill put them back on my way back up as I shingle.

I just got a couple rows on near the bottom so far and I have the paper on the half that I stripped. next I'll start stripping the other half of this side of the roof so then Ill be about half way.. my plan now is to nail the brackets on top of the old shingled roof hitting the joist so they grab well.. then to deal with the flashings while removing the roofing..

I cut all new fir strips to go under the flashings. so I will put those on and the flashings. on gable ends the membrane is supposed to go under the flashing but I think i can just put the membrane along the edge and keep the walking planks on the roof until I get the flashings on.. less scary to do the flashings with those planks on the roof.. without the planks leaning from the roof deck and working on the flashings is too freaky for me even with a harness.. I found myself lying on the roof with my toes pretty much hooked over the peak trying to reach the flashings.. wearing a harness so I am safe from a fall but its freaky.. I also couldn't stand near the peak and near the edge on the roof without the roof brackets and planks.. some places are just too scary to put my body in..

once that side is stripped I can remove the planks and then as i start shingling that side I can add planks as I go up.

so I'm attacking this diferently now..
I think it will be easier to do the membrane from the top down, the shingles from the bottom up. I just tuck it under as I go so the membrane laps correctly. this way I can strip a portion at the top and add the membrane as I work downward. once the membrane is on I have some protection against rain.
of course you can't really put the membrane on or the shingles until all the roof above is stripped or the bits of crumbly roofing would keep falling on the area I am working on so the deck has to be cleared , you can't really just start at the bottom and strip and put the membrane but I could strip and put the membrane working from the top down.
some of this would be obvious to an experienced roofer..

so I divided the roof roughly in half and tried to do just half , that worked but I can't shingle much without preparing the whole roof deck at once as the shingles need to lay over each other properly.. so I will stop shingling and do the roof membrane and flashings on the other half now that I have a better idea what Im doing. I just didnt' want to open too much up to the weather in case the weather changes since I am only able to work at it in pieces I didn't want to just remove the entire roof like a roofing crew would or I could be sorry I opened too much.

a roofer would of course just strip the whole roof deck but they have a crew and they can close up the job a lot faster than I can doing it in dribs and drabs..
none the less Im going to win.. its just going to take forever and a day or two.

the roofing store where I bought the membrane said the roofers usually just use roofing nails to hold the membrane,, since he said they are usually just shingling right over with a thousand nails anyway.. I thought it through and decided its safer if I use the recommended plastic cap nails.. also I think the idea of the little plastic caps is as well as sealing better, they create a little air space so if water does get between the membrane and the shingle it isn't so trapped there.
the membrane paper has markings where to put the plastic cap nails.. it wants a lot of them but I decided not to cheap out on that as it is safer to walk on if it is nailed down really well.
for the shingles they say to use 4 nails per shingle or 6 nails if it is windy or for steeper slopes so I will use 6 nails.. mine is 50 degrees I think.

I also put some heavy roofing paper along the eves under the membrane. its probably overkill but won't hurt. I figured I only have one chance and the felt isnt' expensive. It isn't required here by code if you use the membrane.

Im getting a bit more experience and when I began this I envisioned most of the work being installing new shingles but its all the fussing around.. there are a lot of little steps.. I'm getting into better shape running up and down the ladders. I could do it a lot faster if I take shortcuts but for example I've been tying my ladders down good even if I just have to keep moving them.

snapping lines by myself is hard because it requires getting to all these hard to get to places.. I finally made up a story pole and marked my shingle spacing along it..

I put a stop on one end of the stick so that I can place that against the lowest edge. to hold it from sliding off the roof I put a piece of rope and a weight on one end that I throw over the opposite side of the peak. now I use the story pole to mark the locations to snap lines.

I might be fussing too much, the reveal of the shingles is given but it occurred to me that i can calculate the number of rows of shingles.. I have 36 rows and i was able to adjust the reveal to make it so the top row works out correctly.. I think they usually just start shingling upwards until they reach the peak but then the distance from the peak to the top row of shingles could land anywhere. I don't know why I find it confusing but it is a little... I still not sure where that top shingle will land or if it will be exactly correct.. It might be a minor thing to fuss over. the ridge cap shingles will cover the ridge as normal so the only thing you see is the distance from the ridge cap to the bottom of the first shingle. I really couldn't' find much online about where that should be or if that little detail really matters.

Phil