Owning a house often involves a constant fight against the elements. One of the tools you have at your disposal to protect yourself is kickout flashing.
This is installed to divert water away from sensitive areas, such as the joints between your chimney and your roof, and to the gutter.
It should be installed wherever the exterior wall and roof intersect, and also where the outer wall continues past the lower edge of the roof.
If it is missing or installed improperly, you could have water accumulation inside of your home, or it could leak behind your siding and damage your outer walls.
There isn’t necessarily going to be visible damage, even if there is a serious problem, so if you are uncertain about the state of your kickout flashing, an inspection might be necessary.
Some common problems are that it isn’t watertight or not installed at a correct angle. Some homeowners also remove kickout flashing to improve the appearance of their home, mistakenly thinking that it doesn’t serve a purpose.
