Flashing in Siding Installations Atlantic Beach FL

Source: REPLACEMENT CONTRACTOR Magazine
Publication date: November 1, 2005

By Carl Sperry

A constant problem that contractors see in siding installations is improper flashing or, even worse, no flashing at all. Relying on caulk alone to keep water from leaking into homes is not a good practice. Whether you're talking about wood, fiber-cement, or vinyl siding, three areas in particular can prove problematic:

Above door and window headers.

After installing window and door trim, either make flashing using a sheet metal brake or apply flashing pre-bent to the correct trim size. Nail your flashing to the wall, not to the trim, because if you put holes in the flashing, you've defeated its purpose. Flashing has to be intact to do its job, which is to keep water from contact with the wall. That goes for the weather barrier as well. Run the weather barrier over the flashing so that water doesn't get behind it. You want water to run over, not under, the siding.

Inside corners.

Tough and tricky, because sometimes your weather barrier gets torn trying to fit it into corners at a 90-degree angle. A simple fix for this is bending flashing in an L-shape before installing it in the corner. Then, after flashing is installed, run weather barrier over the flashing to eliminate the worry of tearing the paper and getting a leak.

Roofs and walls.

Another overlooked detail is where roofs intersect walls. Relying on step flashing alone is usually not enough.

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