Flashing Screwup

raydeana · 10-14-2009, 05:26 PM

We live in a doublewide mobile home and when we first moved in we had a back deck added to the length of the home with a metal roof over it. The metal roof has always leaked here and there where it connected with the mobile home roof. Upon checking it out, I found that there was not enough flashing. The narrow flashing had been tucked under the shingles only a inch or so and water appeared to be backing up. My son and I climbed on the roof with wider flashing and removed the old and put on new, tucking it several inches under the shingles and sealing it with roof adhesive. After doing so, I realized we screwed the flashing to the metal only on the metal roof. While there are 2x4s under the metal, we didn't hit them when we screwed in the flashing. My husband is BESIDE HIMSELF. He says when it snows the weight of the snow will cause the screws to pop up and we'll have LOTS of leaks. I offered to go back up and put in screws about 4 inches up from our current screws where there are actual 2x4s and leave in the other screws. He says this will only cause them to pull loose now. Is there such a thing as nuts to go on the underside of the metal screws? Is any of this a worry and if so how should I fix our screwup? Thanks for any and all comments.

Daryl in Nanoose · 10-14-2009, 10:22 PM

Can you put some backing underneith so the ecrews have something to bite on?

raydeana · 10-15-2009, 08:20 AM

The screws are already in and I hate to back them out and break the seal made by the rubber washer on the screws. What kind of backing can I put on at this point? This is about a 75 foot length and the screws are about every 10 inches on the rises in the metal. My Dad suggested that since I didn't drill the holes in but let the screws thread themselves through the flashing and into the metal roof which is quite heavy and the fact that the screws have the rubber washer that they should hold. What do you think? I would love to be able to give my husband reassurance that it is the general opinion that this should hold up under reasonable circumstances. I mean, it is a mobile home, and if we get too much wind, this roof could be the leasts of our worries. :/ I really appreciate your feedback. Thanks!

oldog/newtrick · 10-15-2009, 08:40 AM

If you put in the screws with the rubber washers on them you should be OK, thats the proper fastner. My suggestion would be to make sure the new flashing you installed on the transition from the metal to the shingle roof extends at least 3" up and under from where the water valley is in a 3-tab shingle. Form a straight break in the metal flashing and turn it out at least 12" onto the metal roof. At Lowe's or Home Depot in the roofing section, by the metal roofing panels you will find foam "closures" install them in every flute section along the bottom of your new flashing to prevent water, debris, and wasps from getting up and under your flashing. You can buy "trim coil" at the big box stores that is 24" wide and use this for your flashing material. When you screw into your metal panels make sure the screws are straight and you screw next to the ribs and not into the ribs, you want the washer to have direct contact with the flat pan.

raydeana · 10-15-2009, 09:39 AM

Oldog/newtrick - thank you so much for your reassurance. It helped ALOT in soothing my husband's concerns. I think he's going to let me live.