Step flashing, valleys, hips and ridges
How roof-to-wall step flashing and kickouts, valley metal, hip caps and ridge caps are installed: the lapping rule they share, the valley widths and linings in a 2018 IRC reproduction, how each piece is held, worked lengths and counts, and the checks that catch recurring defects.
4 lessons · about 45 min · 10 diagrams · 5 videos
Version 1.0.0
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Lessons
0 of 4 complete
Lesson 1 · 10 min · 11 slides · 7 questions
Step flashing, valleys, hips and ridges: principles and terminology
The shingle-fashion lapping rule, step flashing and the kickout, base flashing at a headwall, open and closed valleys, hip and ridge coverings in shingle and metal, the fall-protection boundary, and which document governs.
You will be able to: Name the pieces that make a roof-to-wall joint, a valley, a hip and a ridge watertight, define their terms, state the one lapping rule that governs them, and state the fall-protection boundary and the order of authority for a job.
Not startedStart →Lesson 2 · 12 min · 11 slides · 8 questions
Step flashing, valleys, hips and ridges: materials, standards and design constraints
The open-valley width and lining rules in a 2018 IRC reproduction, the metal-thickness conflict NRCA describes, older width recommendations, a federal specification's stricter valley details, splash diverters, step flashing metal, and AFS's fabrication limits.
You will be able to: State the valley widths, linings and metal thicknesses the 2018 IRC reproduction and the named recommendations give, keep code, manufacturer, trade and project-specification values apart, and check an order against what AFS can fabricate.
Not startedStart →Lesson 3 · 13 min · 12 slides · 8 questions
Step flashing, valleys, hips and ridges: methods and worked application
The installer's order of work from valley lining to ridge cap, how valley metal is held, the kickout and step-piece rules, the headwall corner, shingle and metal caps, and four worked calculations.
You will be able to: Follow the installation order for valley metal, kickout, step flashing, headwall flashing, hips and ridges, and work out valley and hip lengths, valley girth, step courses and cap counts with every input and assumption written down.
Not startedStart →Lesson 4 · 10 min · 12 slides · 6 questions
Step flashing, valleys, hips and ridges: defects, verification and case study
Missing and site-made kickouts, flashing layered in the wrong order, reroofs that bury the siding gap, nails and narrow sheets in valleys, cross-flow, cut caps and blocked vents, three inspection checklists, and a diagnosed sidewall leak.
You will be able to: Recognise the recurring defects at sidewalls, kickouts, valleys, hips and ridges, say which document the correct detail comes from, run a three-part inspection, and diagnose and document a sidewall leak.
Not startedStart →
Practical task
Document one roof for a flashing job packet: a roof you can measure or a drawing you are given with a sidewall, a valley, a hip and a ridge. Record the governing documents, the open or closed valley choice, the pieces and counts for each run, and an inspection with one defect diagnosed.
Hand in
- A marked-up sketch or plan showing the sidewall run with its kickout, the valley with its lining and metal, and the hip and ridge, with the pitch and runs written on it
- A table of every number used (valley width, lining width, lap, nail clearance, exposure, step piece size), each with the document that sets it and its edition, and a note on which document governs where two differ
- Piece and count arithmetic using the hip and valley factor, the AFS 10 ft standard piece (and the 10 ft 6 in maximum where allowed), the valley girth against the 48 in widest blank, and the step courses, with every assumption labelled
- The fall-protection controls for the work named by regulation under 29 CFR 1926.501, without designing an anchorage
- A completed three-part inspection checklist with measured values, plus one defect (real or given) with its cause, two corrective options and the evidence you would record
Rubric
| Criterion | Meets the standard when |
|---|---|
| Governing documents | Every number names the document and edition that sets it; where code, manufacturer, trade and specification values differ, the packet says which governs and why. |
| Valley decision | The valley is open or closed with a lining that matches, an open metal lining is checked against the code width where that item applies, and a center rib or inverted V is addressed where slopes or flows differ. |
| Arithmetic | Valley and hip lengths use the pitch factor; piece counts, laps, girth and courses are worked with units and the assumed exposure is labelled as an assumption. |
| Order and fastening | The order of work puts valleys first and the ridge last, step pieces are one per course with one nail high on the roof or wall and not both, and no nails go through a valley field. |
| Defect diagnosis | The defect is traced to a cause with a source for the correct detail, the options are realistic, and the evidence list would let a reviewer check it. |