Roof Edges and Poor Eaves Trough Overhangs

(Image Copyright May Only Be Reused With Permission from Valiant Exteriors)

We completed an eaves trough job the other day where the roof overhang was too short. This would have meant water could leak behind the inner gutter edge and we might get the blame. We sorted it by installing the additional roof flashing in the photo. Roof edges and poor eaves trough overhangs are a good example of where it pays to use professionals.

Why Roof Edges and Poor Eaves Trough Overhangs Matter

The lower edge of a pitched roof is a weak spot in the owner’s defenses against rain, snow melt and sleet. Their secret weapon is capillary action, whereby liquid flows in a narrow space even in opposition to gravity. Gusts of wind, even strong breezes can help it find its way behind a run of eaves troughing. A roof without an adequate depth of drip edge flashing is open to several risks:

Water could find its way behind the roof tiles and damage the underlayment.
Water could also drip onto people below, and / or run down windows and frames.
The fascia boards could also be at risk from incessant damp, and eventually rot.

How to Inspect Drip Edge Flashing to Make Sure It Is Correct

You could have problems with roof edges and poor eaves trough overhangs, if you don’t inspect them regularly. Or before you sign off a new installation for that matter. Here are two things to look out for:

Are the drip edges and fascias spaced apart (correct) or joined (incorrect)?
Do the drip edges adequately overlap the fascias and eaves troughs?

Extending roof edges to compensate may be a false economy if this increases the wind lift factor. That’s why we chose to extend the drip edge flashing, as we illustrate in our project photo above.

A Badly-Aligned Run of Gutter Could Also Cause Dripping

Eaves trough dripping is not necessarily the result of roof edges, and poor eaves trough overhangs conflicting. We often help clients avoid expensive modifications by reinstalling eaves troughs correctly.

Call Valiant Exteriors in Calgary on (403)829-1661, or email Martin at [email protected]. Chances are you’ll enjoy chatting with a dedicated team where every job counts, and deserves their best attention.