That’s the truth—water’s relentless. I remember after a hailstorm, I tried patching a dented section with some heavy-duty tape, thinking it’d hold till spring. By the next big rain, water had wormed its way underneath and dripped right into the attic insulation. The hassle of pulling soggy insulation was way worse than just replacing the flashing in the first place. Sometimes those quick fixes just buy you a mess you didn’t plan for... but I get why folks do it, especially when the weather’s nasty or the roof’s steep.
Sometimes those quick fixes just buy you a mess you didn’t plan for... but I get why folks do it, especially when the weather’s nasty or the roof’s steep.
Man, I’ve seen more “temporary” tape jobs turn into full-blown disasters than I can count. Had a guy last winter who used duct tape on his valley flashing—said he figured it’d hold till spring. By February, he had icicles hanging from his living room ceiling and a mushroom farm in the attic. Not exactly what you want growing up there.
I get it though—nobody wants to be up on a 10/12 pitch in freezing rain, wrestling with slippery metal. But water’s like that one relative who always finds a way in, no matter how many locks you put on the door. If there’s even a pinhole, it’ll find it.
Honestly, sometimes ripping off the bandaid and just replacing the flashing saves you way more time (and money) than patching ever will. Learned that the hard way myself after chasing leaks around my own place for weeks. Quick fixes are tempting, but water doesn’t care about your schedule...
water’s like that one relative who always finds a way in, no matter how many locks you put on the door
That line cracked me up—so true. I’ve tried every “quick fix” in the book and water still manages to RSVP anyway. Sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet and do it right, even if it means braving the elements. At least you’re not alone in learning the hard way... I’ve had my share of attic mushrooms too.
Had a flashing “patch job” last winter—thought I was clever with some caulk and aluminum tape. Two weeks later, water found a new route and I ended up with soggy insulation. Guess there’s no shortcut when it comes to flashing, especially on low-slope roofs.
Not sure I totally agree that there’s “no shortcut” with flashing, at least for every situation.
I did a quick patch with roof cement and mesh tape on a small leak over my porch last fall, and it held up surprisingly well through a pretty wet winter. Maybe it’s just luck or maybe the slope makes a big difference? I’m curious if anyone else has had luck with temporary fixes, or is it just a matter of time before water finds a way in?“Guess there’s no shortcut when it comes to flashing, especially on low-slope roofs.”
