"Thought it was the flashing at first, but turned out water was sneaking under the metal edging itself."
Had a similar situation a couple years back, and honestly, sealing was just a temporary fix in my experience. Eventually, water found its way back in—just took longer. If you're looking at cost-effectiveness long-term, replacing the strip entirely is usually better. A bit pricier upfront, yeah...but saves you from climbing back up there every season to re-seal. Just my two cents from dealing with storm damage repairs regularly.
A bit pricier upfront, yeah...but saves you from climbing back up there every season to re-seal.
Totally agree—sealing's usually just buying yourself time. Had water sneaking under mine too, and after replacing the edging, I added a breathable underlayment layer beneath it. Been bone-dry ever since, even through some crazy storms...might be worth considering if you're redoing it anyway.
Yeah, sealing is usually just a band-aid fix—buys you some time but doesn't really solve the underlying issue. Good call on the breathable underlayment. A lot of folks overlook that step, but it's key for letting moisture escape and preventing mold buildup down the line.
One thing I'd add from experience: make sure your flashing details are spot-on when you're redoing edging. I've seen plenty of roofs where people replaced the edging but skimped on proper flashing around chimneys, vents, or skylights. Water loves finding those tiny gaps, and once it gets in, you've got headaches.
Also worth double-checking your fasteners—I've dealt with storm damage cases where perfectly good edging got compromised because someone used cheap screws or nails that rusted out after one season. Stainless steel or corrosion-resistant fasteners are definitely worth the extra bucks upfront. Saves you from climbing back up there sooner than you'd like.
Had a client last year who thought he was saving money by skipping proper underlayment altogether—just metal straight onto plywood. Looked fine at first glance, but after a few heavy rains, water wicked right underneath and warped his decking pretty badly. Ended up being way more expensive to fix than if he'd just done it right initially.
Anyway, sounds like you've got it sorted now. Good peace of mind knowing you're set for the next big storm...
Totally agree on the flashing—can't count how many times I've seen water creep in from a sloppy chimney job. Had a neighbor once who redid his roof himself, looked pretty good from the ground, but he totally botched the flashing around his skylight. First big rainstorm, he had buckets everywhere. Ended up paying twice as much to get it fixed properly.
I'm a bit skeptical about always needing stainless fasteners though...I mean, sure they're great, but I've used galvanized screws plenty of times without issues. As long as they're decent quality and not some bargain-bin junk, they've held up fine for me. But yeah, definitely don't cheap out too much—seen those rust streaks running down siding enough times to know it's not worth saving a couple bucks.
And man, skipping underlayment altogether? That's bold (and by bold I mean crazy). Even breathable underlayment isn't that pricey in the grand scheme of things. Some shortcuts just aren't worth it...
Galvanized screws can definitely do the job, but I've seen them fail faster than you'd expect, especially near coastal areas or places with heavy moisture. Even decent galvanized hardware can corrode quicker than you'd think when exposed to salt air or constant dampness. Stainless might feel like overkill, but it's a safer bet long-term. Still, if you're inland and conditions aren't too harsh, galvanized is usually fine...just keep an eye on it every couple years or so.
