- Had the same issue last fall—patched a spot with new flashing, but didn’t seal under the edge quite enough. Water found its way in and just pooled there.
- Learned the hard way: even tiny gaps are like magnets for leaks.
- For a quick fix, I’ve used high-quality exterior caulk along seams, but honestly, if the flashing’s really banged up or warped, redoing it is usually less headache long-term.
- Not sure there’s ever a perfect answer, but keeping up with checks after storms has saved me some grief.
- Sometimes feels like you’re just chasing water around... but catching problems early does help.
I get the logic behind just redoing the flashing if it’s really bent up, but honestly, I’ve had decent luck stretching out the life of old flashing with a combo of caulk and some aluminum tape. Here’s what I did: cleaned the area, dried it out, ran a bead of exterior caulk in the gaps, then pressed aluminum tape over the seam. Not saying it’s pretty or forever, but for a year or two it held up fine—especially when money was tight. Anyone else tried that route? Sometimes I wonder if we’re too quick to rip stuff out instead of patching.
That’s a pretty common workaround, honestly. I’ve seen folks use that combo and get a couple more seasons out of old flashing, especially on sheds or garages. Did you notice any issues with water getting behind the tape during heavy rain, or did it stay sealed up? Sometimes I worry about trapping moisture under there if the caulk isn’t perfect.
Sometimes I worry about trapping moisture under there if the caulk isn’t perfect.
That’s a fair point. I’ve patched up old flashing with tape and caulk more times than I can count, especially on outbuildings folks don’t want to sink much money into. Usually holds up fine for a while, but I have seen spots where water sneaks in if the caulk shrinks or cracks. Once, after a gnarly thunderstorm, I peeled back some tape on a barn and found the wood underneath was starting to rot—guess the seal wasn’t as tight as I’d hoped. It’s a decent short-term fix, but I always tell people to keep an eye on it, especially after heavy rain. Sometimes it’s just buying you time until you can do a proper replacement.
That’s honestly the big headache with patch jobs—there’s always that nagging feeling you missed a little gap somewhere, and moisture’s just waiting to sneak in. I’ve done my fair share of caulk-and-tape fixes too, especially on sheds and garages where nobody wants to shell out for new flashing. Sometimes it holds up for a couple seasons, but yeah, if the caulk pulls away even a bit, water finds its way in.
I get the temptation to just slap on more sealant and hope for the best, but I’ve learned the hard way that keeping an eye on those spots after a storm is key. Had a buddy who thought he’d sealed up his old garden shed tight, only to find mushrooms growing inside a month later—turns out one little crack was all it took.
Short-term fixes are fine if you’re in a pinch, but if you can swing it, swapping out the damaged flashing for something more durable (or even going with a recycled metal option) saves a lot of hassle down the line. Either way, you’re not alone in worrying about trapped moisture. It’s one of those things that keeps a lot of us up at night...
