Pry, chisel and scrape off old metal flashings and roofing cement. Before you do anything, get your ladder, roof brackets and safety harness set up so you can work safely and efficiently on the roof.

Asphalt, wood shakes, slate and other overlapped roofings are fine until they meet an obstruction. Up against a dormer, a vent pipe, a chimney, they need flashing — a patchwork of metal sheets, and ...

Roof installation problems often remain hidden for years because surface materials can appear intact while key details underneath are incorrect. Small mistakes in nail placement, flashing alignment, ...

Flashing is usually hidden under shingles or siding, making it easy to forget until a leak occurs inside your home. Many homeowners assume a roof leak means “bad shingles,” but the truth is, most of ...

Lee Wallender is a home improvement writer of nearly 20 years and specializes in home remodeling, repair and maintenance. Sami Allen is the managing editor at Forbes Home, with over seven years of ...