gable roof to wall

I am reroofing a small gable roof to wall that has wood clapboards. It has leaked in past years until put a ton of roofing tar over the shingles and the flashing. I looked to find the proper way to seal the shingles to the flashing without much luck. The clapboard is no problem just the shingles to flashing, a step by step please. Thanks.

 

Putting tar on a roof is seldom the answer to fixing leaks. It sounds like you need to apply new step shingles as you roof.

***uming you are re-roofing right over the top of the old shingles, I would first start by removing all the siding nails that are along the roof line. This will enable you to tuck the new flashing up under there. You'll need a 5x7 metal step flashing for every course of shingles.

Basically what you do is lay the shingle first, then bend a 5x7 flashing in half (so that it's L-shaped and 2 1/2 x 7) and then tuck that under your siding, and on top of your shingle. The top edge of the flashing should be even with the top of the shingle. Then put one nail down through the flashing and shingle. The next shingle you lay should cover up the metal flashing completely. Then you install another metal step flashing. repeat this all the way to the top. When you get to the ridge, take a flashing you've bent, and snip one half of it right in the middle, and bend it so it fits over the ridge. It will produce a "V" when you bend it over the top. Then take a metal flashing and cut it out to match the pitch of the roof on each side, like a "^". Tar the gap and tuck it in there. Simple enough?

 

You could, if you're carefull, mark a line on either side of the wall....2-3 inches up...following the roof line...then take a circular saw which you've adjusted for depth....to cut through "most" of the siding. Then finish the cut with sharp chisel or other tool of the imagination. This is IF it's to difficult to remove the siding as mentioned by the previous poster, and IF you can be careful enough not to cut through the sub wall behind the siding....or fumble with the saw, thereby cutting yourself.
Then of course you could install the proper step flashings behind the siding.

 

Just to clarify, I suggested to remove the "nails" in the siding (that are nearest the roof), not all the siding.

The sawcut is good idea if there is not enough room to tuck the new step flashings behind the siding, along with another layer of shingles. But I'd suggest cutting as close to the roof as possible (1 to 1 1/2" away) and use a 1x4 (temporarily tacked on the siding) to slide the circular saw along so as to provide a smooth surface (and consistant cutting depth) for the circular saw to slide on.

 

Thanks for the replies xsleeper & E. dodge. The old roofing is being remove to bare wood, decayed wood replaced. The old flashing is one piece, about 7ft long each side, any problem with replacing it with same,I mean new. Plan on put down 15 lb felt, 25 yr cutout shingles, I won’t be around in 25 yrs.

 

the long flashing is great, but that can still leak if water gets under the shingles and dams up (and runs sideways) due to ice or debris.. Individual step flashings where the roof meets a vertical sidewall ensure that every course of shingles is flashed onto the next.

 

xsleeper thanks for the reply, looks like I have enough information to complete
the roof.

 

One more ?. When you start your shingles you put down a starter row, then your first exposed shingle goes over that, when do you start the first step flashing. Thanks

 

If there is wood siding adjacent to the starter strip, lay the starter strip, then lay a metal step shingle on top of it. Then lay your first shingle. Then lay a metal step shingle on top of it (and even with the top edge of the shingle). Continue this pattern all the way up.

It's sometimes a good idea to place an additional step flashing on top of your first one, to act as a "kick-out" flashing which will direct water away from the flashing termination.

To do this, picture your 5x7 step shingle as a piece of paper. Draw a "V" on the paper, from top to bottom. The top of the V will be 1 1/2" from each edge of the metal shingle, while the mouth of the V will be about 2" wide. The bottom point of the V will be centered on the bottom of the metal shingle. Bend the metal shingle in this fashion, bending each side 45 degrees. Placing this on top of your first stepflashing, and then cutting your first shingle around it, you will help kick water away from the wall termination- a spot with a high leak potential.

 

XSleeper I get the first part when to start the step flash.
I got lost on the kick out step flash. I think I need to see a picture, the cutting the starter and top shingle really confused me.

 

Sorry, my explanation was probably not very clear. I'm not much of an artist, but maybe this illustration will help: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/thexsleeper/detail?.dir=/af9d&.dnm=ffe5.jpg&.src=ph

 

Wow, what a picture is worth. Thanks