If you’re in a hail-prone area, I’d still lean toward traditional flashing, just because I’ve seen those seals get compromised after a couple of bad storms. On newer roofs though, like you said, the deck-mounted seals seem to hold up fine as long as the decking is solid and there’s no shingle curl. Anyone tried both methods on older composite shingles? Curious if one really outlasts the other when the roof’s already got some age on it...
I’ve put up panels on two roofs now—one with traditional flashing, the other with those newer deck-mounted seals (the kind with the rubber gaskets). Both were older, mid-2000s composite shingles, nothing fancy. In my case, the roof with flashing has held up better after a couple hailstorms. The deck-mounted seals looked great at first, but after a nasty spring storm, I noticed a couple started to seep just a bit—nothing catastrophic but enough to stain the plywood.
Could be that my shingles were already curling a bit, which didn’t help the seal. I think if your shingles are showing age or have any warping, flashing just gives you that extra peace of mind. It’s more of a hassle to install, but less stress when the weather turns ugly. If you’re dealing with a roof that’s seen better days, I’d lean toward flashing unless you love climbing up there every year to check for leaks... which I definitely do not.
Interesting to hear the deck-mounted seals didn’t hold up as well after storms—I was actually leaning toward those for my install since they seemed less intrusive. Have you noticed any difference in noise or draft between the two setups? Wondering if that extra seal from flashing changes anything inside during heavy rain or wind.
Have you noticed any difference in noise or draft between the two setups?
Yeah, actually, I did. When I had the deck-mounted seals on my old roof (asphalt shingles, midwest weather), I noticed a faint whistling during heavy winds—nothing crazy, but it was there. After switching to traditional flashing on the new install, that noise disappeared. Also, during big storms, the area around the mounts felt less drafty with flashing. It’s a bit more work up front, but for me, the peace of mind during those spring storms is worth it.
After switching to traditional flashing on the new install, that noise disappeared. Also, during big storms, the area around the mounts felt less drafty with flashing.
Interesting—my experience was kind of the opposite. I went with deck-mounted seals on a low-slope metal roof (Pacific NW), and honestly, I haven’t noticed any extra noise or drafts. Maybe it’s a climate thing or just differences in install quality? I do like that deck seals mean fewer roof penetrations overall, which feels better for long-term water resistance... but yeah, I get why some folks prefer flashing for peace of mind.