Drip Edge Flashing

Drip edge flashing, while not technically "required" in most municipalities, is a good idea, and if it isn't present I will often find problems on homes.  Subsequently, whether there are problems or not, I will always call out missing drip edge flashing (with a couple notable exceptions...) in a home inspection report.

But first, what is drip edge flashing?

Drip edge flashing tucks up under the shingles, resting on top of the roof decking/sheathing (which also happens to be, in this case, the top side of the "eave"...), then angles down over the gutter providing an "edge" for water to "drip" off of.  See the picture to the left.  You can see me pulling up on the shingles, and then below that you can see the edgeing of the roof deaking/sheathing.  Below it you see the gutter.  What you don't see: drip edge flashing.  It isn't there.  On this particular house, the lack of it (combined with gutters that tended to over flow at times) lead to wood decay.  This is something that would not only get brought out in a home inspection report, but would also be listed as a "conducive condition to wood destroying organisms" in a Washington State compliant "pest and dry rot" or (more accurately) "Wood Destroying Organism" inspection report--i.e., since no drip edge flashing is present, it can (or has) lead to decay, and is subsequently a "conducive condition" to decay.

The picture to the left clearly shows how the sheathing/decking of the roof (the "eave") has decayed along the exge due to lack of drip edge flashing.

The picture to the right (below) shows a diagram of where it would be present.