“My inspection report noted that my roof was missing the”kick out flashing”. What is this flashing and why is it needed?”
The function of a kick out flashing is to prevent a type of “roof” leak which occurs in a location where it has the potential to create extensive damage. To understand what happens in that instance, visualize the path of water flowing down the roof alongside the vertical wall above it.
When it reaches the bottom of the roof, water is able to penetrate behind the siding and/or overshoot down past the gutter and onto the wall below – the wall-roof junction acts as a funnel to concentrate water runoff down the roof into a stream being directed against the siding at the roof’s edge and beyond.
Over time that water can do a lot of damage. That’s why inspectors look for and report a missing or improper kick out flashing.