Roof Details
Every failure mode on a metal roof traces back to a handful of details. Here's how we install each one — and what to look for on yours.
Detail 01
Where a roof plane meets a vertical wall is where the leaks live. We install step flashing under each panel course, tucked behind wall cladding, then run a separate counter-flashing to shed water away from the joint. No caulk-and-pray — mechanical protection, then a sealant as backup.
Detail 02
Gable ends take the worst wind uplift on the roof. Panel edges get hem-locked into a cleated rake trim so there's no exposed fastener along the rake — just clean, straight metal that grips the panel edge from underneath.
Detail 03
A ridge cap is not just a cover — it's the exhaust for the entire roof assembly. We use a vented ridge with a closure that blocks bugs, snow, and driving rain while letting hot attic air escape. Panels get slit and turned up under the cap to prevent capillary draw.
Detail 04
Open metal valleys with an ice-and-water membrane run full-length underneath. Panel ends are cut on a bias, hemmed, and cleated so they can expand and contract without oil-canning or backing water uphill in a driving rain.
Detail 05
Every penetration gets a purpose-built flashing kit — high-temp silicone pipe boots for vents, soldered or mechanically-locked pans for chimneys, and factory curbs for skylights. If it pokes through your roof, it gets its own detail.
Detail 06
The eave is where snow, ice, and gutter overflow attack the roof edge. Our eave detail: ice-and-water underlayment 24" past the interior wall line, a hemmed drip edge, and panel hems that engage the drip so water can't crawl back up the panel.
Detail 07
Metal sheds snow fast — sometimes too fast. On homes with entries, walkways, or lower roof planes below, we engineer snow guards or continuous rails so avalanches don't rip off gutters or land on people.