That’s not just your luck—seen it plenty of times. I’ve inspected a bunch of homes where folks tried liquid membranes, thinking it’d be a quick fix, but after a couple of harsh winters, you start seeing cracks or even full-on separation at the seams. Cold snaps seem to make some of those products go brittle, especially if they weren’t applied thick enough or if the surface prep wasn’t spot on.
Aluminum flashing, even the recycled stuff, just seems to handle the expansion and contraction better. I’ve pulled up flashing that’s been in place for decades and, aside from a bit of oxidation, it’s still doing its job. The only thing I’d watch for is making sure the fasteners haven’t backed out or rusted—seen a few leaks start that way, especially on older installs.
Peel-and-stick always sounds good on paper, but once moisture gets underneath, it’s game over. I’ve had to break the news to more than one homeowner who thought they’d found a shortcut. Sometimes the old-school methods really do hold up better, especially in places with wild temperature swings.
Aluminum flashing, even the recycled stuff, just seems to handle the expansion and contraction better. I’ve pulled up flashing that’s been in place for decades and, aside from a bit of oxidation, it’s still doing its job.
That lines up with what I’ve seen too. Tried a couple of those “miracle” liquid membranes on a client’s low-slope porch roof a few years back—looked great at first, but after two freeze-thaw cycles, it started peeling at the seams. Not worth the hassle or the callbacks.
If your aluminum flashing’s just oxidized or has minor dings, I’d leave it. Maybe hit it with a wire brush and check the fasteners. If you’re seeing actual holes or big gaps, patching with a compatible metal piece and some butyl tape works better than any liquid patch I’ve used. Just make sure you overlap the patch enough and seal the edges.
Honestly, the old-school stuff like metal flashing just holds up better in wild weather. Liquid fixes are tempting, but they rarely last if you get real winters. If you’re redoing it anyway, recycled aluminum is solid and keeps stuff out of the landfill.
Seems like every time I try a shortcut with those liquid patches, I regret it after the first real cold snap. The old aluminum just takes a beating and keeps going. I did have one spot on my garage where the flashing was pitted pretty bad, and I thought about just sealing it up with some of that brush-on goop, but ended up cutting a patch instead. Held up way longer—just like you said, overlap is key.
One thing I always wonder about—how much oxidation is too much? Like, at what point do you guys decide it’s worth swapping out the whole run instead of just cleaning it up and patching? Sometimes the stuff looks ugly but still does its job. I guess I’m always on the fence about pulling perfectly functional metal just because it’s not shiny anymore. Anyone ever had issues with leaving old, oxidized flashing in place for years?
Sometimes the stuff looks ugly but still does its job. I guess I’m always on the fence about pulling perfectly functional metal just because it’s not shiny anymore.
Honestly, same boat here. I’ve left some pretty rough-looking flashing up for years—bit of white chalky oxidation, but no leaks or soft spots. If it’s just surface ugly and not crumbling or letting water in, I’d rather save the cash and leave it. Once it starts getting thin or you can poke through with a screwdriver, that’s when I swap it out. Otherwise, I figure “ugly” is cheaper than “new.”
Had a house last fall where the aluminum flashing looked like it’d been through a war—dull, streaked, even some minor dents. But every test spot was solid, no moisture underneath. I told the owners to keep an eye on it, but honestly, ugly wasn’t hurting anything. Funny how often “old and ugly” outlasts the shiny new stuff.
