Purpose of flashings

The purpose of a flashing is to make the building weather resistant and to prevent water from entering the building
by diverting it. Flashings and cappings are strips of metal formed to weatherproof the edges of roofing and walling.
For the purposes of this chapter, only the term flashing is used. The following sections should be considered as
a guide only. Similar methods of flashing are used for different cladding-profiles. You can adapt the principles to suit your
application.

In all cases it is important to have ample cover provided by the flashing and proper turn-up of the cladding
underneath. Be careful when moving between supports. Do not walk in the pan immediately adjacent to flashings or translucent
sheeting. Walk at least one pan away. Custom flashings to your requirements are available.
Flashings are required to provide weather-resistance for the various junctions on a roof or wall structure. Flashings
are an important part of the cladding design, and have a significant impact on the aesthetic appearance of the
building. Qualified tradesmen or other suitable expertise should be sought when designing, cutting and fastening flashing to a
building. Ponding of water and build-up of debris should be prevented and all flashings should be designed to prevent
this from happening. Flashings must be designed to provide weather-resistance for the roof or wall cladding,
independent of the use of sealants or other materials to provide such weather-resistance.
Unpainted galvanised steel is incompatible with most inert materials and is subject to inert catchment corrosion.