I've definitely noticed that too. Last winter, we had a job where the flashing looked pretty decent at first glance, just a tiny kink here and there—nothing major. But come spring, the homeowner called us back because water had found its way in through those exact spots. Seems like even minor imperfections can turn into headaches down the road. Makes me wonder if anyone's tried sealing those small kinks proactively with something like roofing sealant or tape... would that hold up better long-term?
Had a similar issue when I first moved into my place. The flashing around the chimney looked decent enough, just a couple minor dents—figured it wasn't worth fussing over. Fast forward to the next heavy rainstorm, and sure enough, water started seeping in. Tried patching it up with roofing sealant as a quick fix, and honestly, it held up okay for a while... but eventually had to bite the bullet and redo it properly. Lesson learned: temporary fixes are fine short-term, but nothing beats doing it right from the start.
Yeah, been there myself with the flashing around a skylight. Thought I'd save some cash with sealant too—worked okay until winter hit. Curious, did you end up going DIY or hire someone to redo it properly?
Haha, sealant strikes again...classic move. Honestly, I've seen this scenario play out more times than I can count—sealant seems like a hero until winter rolls in and turns it into a villain. If you're thinking DIY redo, here's my casual step-by-step: first, rip out the old flashing (carefully, aluminum edges bite back), then measure twice—seriously, twice—cut once. Next, bend your new aluminum flashing to fit snugly around that skylight curb. Secure it properly with roofing nails or screws, and don't skimp on the overlapping sections—water loves shortcuts. Finish off with a quality roofing sealant along the edges for extra insurance.
But hey, even as someone who's done this professionally, I'll admit it's not always as straightforward as YouTube makes it look. A buddy of mine tried DIY-ing his chimney flashing last summer; ended up calling me halfway through because he accidentally created a mini waterfall into his attic. Good times...
Did you end up tackling yours solo, or did you decide to spare yourself the headache and call in backup?
"sealant seems like a hero until winter rolls in and turns it into a villain."
Haha, exactly my experience. Last fall I thought I'd patched up my skylight flashing perfectly with sealant—looked solid, felt proud. Fast forward to January, and I've got a steady drip onto the kitchen floor. Ended up redoing the whole thing properly with aluminum flashing and haven't had an issue since. DIY is great, but shortcuts usually come back to bite you...
