Yeah, been there myself. Had a similar issue with flashing on one of the properties I manage. Owner thought it was just a minor leak—turned out the aluminum was practically disintegrating underneath. We tried patching it first (against my better judgment), and sure enough, after a rough winter, we ended up redoing the whole thing anyway. Lesson learned...sometimes saving money upfront ends up costing double in the long run.
Yeah, patching aluminum flashing rarely holds up long-term, especially if it's already corroding underneath. Had a similar situation last year—boss insisted on a quick fix, but after a couple storms we were back up there replacing the whole thing anyway. Sometimes it's just better to bite the bullet early...
- Agreed, patching aluminum flashing is usually just kicking the can down the road.
- Had a client once who insisted on patching repeatedly—ended up costing way more in labor and headaches than just doing it right the first time.
- One thing I've noticed though, sometimes corrosion underneath is worse than it looks initially. You peel back one section and suddenly you're replacing half the roof edge...
- Curious if anyone's tried using alternative materials like galvanized steel or copper flashing in high-corrosion areas? Aluminum's cheap and easy, but durability-wise, I've seen mixed results over the years.
- Also, wondering if anyone has had luck with sealants or coatings that actually hold up long-term? I've tested a few products that claim to stop corrosion, but honestly haven't found one yet that impresses me enough to recommend regularly.
Had a similar experience last summer—thought I'd just patch a small section of aluminum flashing, but once I peeled it back, the corrosion underneath was a mess. Ended up replacing way more than planned. Switched to galvanized steel for that area, and so far it's holding up nicely. As for sealants, tried a few "miracle" products myself... honestly, nothing's blown me away yet. Seems like doing it right the first time saves headaches down the road.
Went through something similar a couple years back after a nasty hailstorm. Thought I'd just slap on some sealant and call it good, but once I started poking around, the aluminum flashing was toast underneath—way worse than it looked from the outside. Ended up tearing out a big chunk and replacing it entirely. Honestly, aluminum can be tricky; it corrodes quietly, and by the time you notice, it's usually too late.
I switched to galvanized steel too, and it's been rock solid ever since. As for sealants, I've tried my share of "magic" fixes, and most are just overpriced tubes of disappointment. If you're already seeing corrosion, patching is just delaying the inevitable. Better to bite the bullet now and redo it properly—saves you from climbing back up there every few months. Learned that lesson the hard way...