Homeowners in Keller usually ask me about panel color, seam height and gauge when they’re pricing a metal roof. Those are good questions. But the part of a metal roof that decides whether it stays dry for decades is the flashing: the formed trim at every wall, valley, chimney, pipe and edge. Panels are the easy part. The details are where a crew shows what it knows.
I’m Blake Snow. I’ve been roofing for 30 years, I’m the third generation in a family roofing business that goes back 75 years, and our crews have completed over $80 million in roofing projects. Here’s what I look at on every metal roof, and what I’d want you to ask whoever you hire.
Why flashing matters more on metal
A standing seam roof sheds water fast across the flat of the panel. There are no holes in the face, and on most roofs we run one piece from ridge to eave. That means the open spots are almost all at the edges and the interruptions: where the roof meets a wall, where two slopes meet in a valley, where a pipe or chimney comes through.
Metal also moves. It grows a little in the afternoon sun and shrinks again at night, every day of the year in North Texas. Flashing has to seal those spots and still let the panels move. If it’s pinned down too tight or sealed with caulk alone, something gives, and that’s where a leak starts.
The details I check on every roof
Sidewalls and headwalls. Where a roof runs into a brick or siding wall, you need flashing that turns up the wall and a counter-flashing that laps over it, so water runs onto the roof instead of behind it. On brick, that means cutting it into the mortar joint or covering it properly, not just a bead of sealant along the top.
Valleys. A valley carries the water from two slopes, so it handles more than any other part of the roof. The valley pan needs to be wide enough, with the panels cut and turned so water can’t run back under them. You can see a valley on the job in the photo below.
Chimneys. A chimney is a box in the middle of a slope. The uphill side needs a cricket or diverter so water and leaves don’t pile up against it. The sides need step or wall flashing with counter-flashing over the top. I’d rather build it right once than come back to re-caulk it every year.
Pipes and vents. Every plumbing vent, flue and exhaust pipe needs a boot made for metal roofing, set so the seal sits flat on the panel and doesn’t land on a seam. We paint or color-match stacks where we can so they blend in with the roof.
Eaves and rakes. The eave trim kicks water into the gutter and keeps wind-driven rain from getting under the panel ends. The rake trim along the gable edges locks the last panel down and covers the cut edge. Both have to be fastened so the panels can still move.
Ridges and hips. The ridge and hip caps cover the top of every panel. Closures under the cap keep out wind-blown rain, wasps and birds. If the roof is vented at the ridge, the closure has to let air out and keep water out at the same time.
What goes under the metal
Flashing works with what’s under it. On a shingle-to-metal conversion, we tear off down to the deck, check for soft spots, and put down underlayment before any panel goes on. At valleys, walls and other weak spots, the underlayment is a second line of defense if water ever gets past the trim. It’s part of the job you won’t see once the roof is done, so ask about it.
Matching trim made for the panel
We run our own roll formers and a standing seam machine, and our own crew installs the panels. We form the panels and bend the trim from the same steel, so the flashing matches the roof’s color and finish. Our standard on standing seam is 26-gauge steel, and 24-gauge is available. Our post on why we form panels on site explains more, and hidden fasteners vs. exposed screws covers what each panel type needs over the years.
Already have a metal roof that leaks?
If you have a metal roof that leaks at a wall, a chimney or a pipe, that’s usually a flashing repair, not a new roof. We fix leaks at screws, seams and flashing all the time. See our metal roof repair page. I’ll tell you straight if a repair is all it needs.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Is the trim and flashing made for this panel, in the same color and gauge?
- How will you flash the sidewalls and the chimney? Is there counter-flashing?
- Does the chimney get a cricket on the uphill side?
- What pipe boots are you using, and where do they sit on the panels?
- What underlayment goes down, and what’s at the valleys?
- What’s the workmanship warranty, and is it in writing?
On the last one, our workmanship warranty runs from 10 years up to lifetime, depending on the job, and we put it in writing.
About the photo
The photo isn’t from Keller. It’s a dark standing seam roof our crew installed on a red brick ranch home in Denton County, between Sanger and Valley View. You can see the details this post is about: the eave trim along the brick, a valley where two roof sections meet, and a metal flue pipe coming through the panels.
Nearby towns
We roof homes all around Keller, including Southlake, Colleyville, Roanoke, Trophy Club, Watauga and North Richland Hills. See all our options on the metal roofing page, or our residential roofing page if you’re weighing metal against shingles.
Let’s look at your roof
Whether you want a new standing seam roof or a leak traced at a chimney or wall, we’d be glad to come out. Every inspection comes with a free digital photo report. We’re A+ rated on the BBB, and our Google ratings are 5.0 at all three offices: 86 reviews in Bridgeport, 13 in Decatur and 3 in Rhome. We serve the entire DFW Metroplex and towns within about 65 miles of Bridgeport.
Call (817) 733-9228 or request an estimate, and we’ll set up a time to walk your roof with you.