# Step Flashing: Where to Nail?



## Schmidty (Sep 27, 2008)

I've found different sites that tell me to nail the step flashing to the wall and others tell me to nail it to the roof. Which one is correct? Please explain.

Thanks,

Schmidt


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## seeyou (Dec 12, 2008)

Nail it to the roof - never to the wall.

The roof will likely need to be replaced before the siding. If it's nailed to the wall, you can't remove it. Nailed to the roof, you can slip the old out and new in without disturbing the siding.


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## Slyfox (Jun 13, 2008)

If you nail your step flashing's to the roof your placing a fastener with in 2" too 5" of the wall every 5" too 9" inches all the way up the roof from the eave to the ridge.

If you fasten the steps into the wall you don't, or atleast shouldn't because your shingle fasteners should never be that close.

Most roofers "in snow/ice regions" run a strip of ice & water shield on the walls now a days, either under or over the step flashing's and some times both. In these cases, removing the step flashing's is going to be a problem no matter where you place your fasteners because the flashing's are going to stick to the ice & water shield and be quite an adventure to remove because of it.

I fasten my step flashing's to the wall, placing each fastener toward the top high point so that it will be completely covered by the next piece of flashing.
I always use thicker aluminum or copper, both those materials will out last the life span of the shingles. Installed properly they'll out last a couple life spans of shingles.


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## seeyou (Dec 12, 2008)

Where do you nail your steps when flashing to masonry walls?


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## Tom Struble (Dec 29, 2008)

i always heard it had to do with wall movement as to why you would nail to the deck,not sure about that


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## Slyfox (Jun 13, 2008)

If the builders used a wooden ledger I'll fasten them to the wall, if they did not I'll fasten them to the roof, with the fasteners still placed in higher outside corner so the next piece of step covers it.


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## Slyfox (Jun 13, 2008)

tomstruble said:


> i always heard it had to do with wall movement as to why you would nail to the deck,not sure about that



If they are nailed to both the wall and deck I could see movement possibly being a problem, but just nailing to the wall should provide the same free movement as just nailing to the deck, I would think anyhow.


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## bcdemon (Jul 12, 2010)

Perfect example of why you nail it to the roof and not the wall.

Tore off some T-Locs today, and the white step flashing was nailed to the wall. T-Locs and Certainteed Landmarks have a major difference in exposure.
Because I was unable to adjust the step flashing due to it being nailed to the wall, there are now some white pieces of step flashing exposed on my Moire Black roof. Had those steps been nailed to the roof, I would have been able to adjust them accordingly.

Luckily it's a 4/12 and you can't see the roof/wall join from the ground.


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## Slyfox (Jun 13, 2008)

bcdemon said:


> Perfect example of why you nail it to the roof and not the wall.
> 
> Tore off some T-Locs today, and the white step flashing was nailed to the wall. T-Locs and Certainteed Landmarks have a major difference in exposure.
> Because I was unable to adjust the step flashing due to it being nailed to the wall, there are now some white pieces of step flashing exposed on my Moire Black roof. Had those steps been nailed to the roof, I would have been able to adjust them accordingly.
> ...


I have run into that problem several times, if you run a double course a couple times while your working your way up the wall you can finish with out any exposed metal and do so with out sacrificing quality.
It's no more difficult than dealing with the few pieces that the J channel nails hit, here and there.


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