I have heard that step flashing is better than continuous flashing. It seems like step flashing is more likely to have possible leak points. Why is step flashing considered better?

 

hi
because step flashing is install on each row of shingle
you lay the first row then place step on new row you lay single over the install step then place the new step over the shingle you just laid and overlap it about 2 inches and so on

 

Step flashing is only more likely to leak if you don't know how to do it correctly. It's superior to continuous flashing because each course of step shingles is flashed onto the next, reducing the possibility of a leak.

Continuous flashing allows water to get underneath the shingles along the entire length of the flashing and relies on the width of the flashing (the part that lies on the decking) to protect the wood. That's not a problem on a short wall, but it becomes a bigger problem on long runs where water can fan out due to wind or capillary action.

The idea of step flashings is to keep water from getting underneath the shingles in the first place.