Flashing Repair Fort Worth: Clay-Soil Shifts & Leak Fixes
- admin680660
- Oct 8
- 6 min read
After a north front pushes through Tarrant County, the breeze dries out fast—and a day later you notice a faint tea ring near the living-room can light. No missing shingles. No obvious holes. In Fort Worth, leaks like this often start where walls meet the roof. Our clay-heavy soils shrink and swell with rain and heat, nudging brick and siding just enough to open step-flashing gaps you can’t see from the yard.
We’re REC Roofing—serving DFW and East Texas with free inspections, a licensed insurance adjuster on staff, and careful, photo-documented repairs. We’ll show you how we diagnose flashing issues in Fort Worth homes, what real fixes look like, and how to prevent a small gap from becoming a ceiling patch. This is general information, not legal advice.
Quick signs your flashing—not your shingles—is the problem
Ceiling ring near a wall or chimney—not mid-field of the room.
Water trails at baseboards along an exterior wall after wind-driven rain.
Stains around a fireplace chase or built-ins that back up to a chimney.
Splashback rot at the end of a wall where the roof meets a gutter—often a missing kick-out flashing.
Dents in soft metals (gutters, downspouts) from hail with no torn shingles; leaks appear only in long rains.
If two or more match, it’s time for a slope-by-slope flashing check.
CTA — Free Local Inspection
Need flashing repair in Fort Worth? Talk to a local pro today.
Call 945-REC-7777 or Schedule your free inspection →
Why Fort Worth homes develop flashing leaks
Clay-soil movement is the quiet culprit here. During dry spells, soil shrinks; after a few soaking days, it swells. Houses shift by fractions of an inch. Brick and stucco move differently than the roof deck, so the tiny stair-stepped step-flashing pieces can lose their snug fit. Add August heat (which dries sealants) and the first north wind of fall (which pushes rain sideways), and water finds the path.
Other local stressors:
Older mastic beads at wall terminations dry out and pull loose behind the visible edge.
Short counter-flashing laid on top of brick faces instead of tucked into mortar joints.
Missing or undersized kick-outs at the base of sidewalls, sending water behind the siding.
Hail-dimpled box vents or turbine rivets that let in a trace amount, which then shows up along a nearby wall—easy to misdiagnose if you only look inside.
What we check during a flashing inspection (no ladders for you)
From the ground and attic first:
Map ceiling stains to roof-to-wall lines or chimney locations.
In the attic (if safe): look for wet nail tips, dark sheathing seams, and drip tracks that run toward a wall rather than a valley.
Check soffits at sidewalls; streaking on the back of fascia often points to a missing kick-out.
On the roof (our turn):
Step flashing count & size: one metal “step” per shingle course. Gaps, missing pieces, or too-short steps are leak starters.
Counter-flashing depth: set into mortar joints, not surface caulked. We look for proper cuts and reglets, not just a smear of sealant.
Kick-outs: confirm the diverter is present, sized right, and tucked under the wall covering.
Underlayment laps: especially at sidewall transitions; torn or mis-lapped synthetic underlayment can be the whole story.
Nearby penetrations: cracked pipe-boot collars or hail-dented box vents within a few feet of the wall can feed the same interior spot.
We photo-document every step and mark locations so the plan is clear.
Flashing repair that last (and ones that don’t)
What works:
Reset step flashing one course at a time. We lift shingles carefully, replace or add correct-sized steps, and ensure each piece interlocks with the shingle course above.
True counter-flashing: Cut a reglet into the mortar joint and tuck the metal; finish with a proper sealant bead inside the kerf—not a surface smear.
Add/resize kick-out flashing: The diverter should throw water into the gutter, not behind the siding.
High-temperature underlayment at sidewalls and complex transitions (Fort Worth summers punish low-temp felts).
Rebuild soft decking at the wall line if nails pulled through; flashing attached to mush won’t hold.
What fails later:
Brushing mastic along a wall seam and calling it good. It peels under heat, hides clues, and the leak returns.
Slipping a single long “L” behind the siding as a “fix.” Step flashing is a system, not a single piece.
Surface-applied counter-flashing glued to brick faces—water gets behind it eventually.
Cost & timeline factors (plain talk)
We’ll price after inspection. Expect cost to track with:
Length of wall or chimney base that needs full reset.
Siding/brick work required to access and tuck counter-flashing.
Pitch and story count (two-story sidewalls add safety setup).
Decking repair at the wall line if fasteners no longer hold.
Adjacent fixes (kick-outs, box vents, or pipe boots) that share the leak path.
Active leaks get same-day temporary dry-in; permanent metal work follows as weather allows.
Insurance collaboration (neutral & simple)
We’re not adjusters and we don’t negotiate claims. Here’s how we assist if you decide to file:
Photo sets labeled by slope and wall section.
A written scope describing step-flashing count, counter-flashing detail, and any deck repair.
Inspection coordination with your carrier so everyone sees the same conditions.
Reminders to keep receipts for tarping or interior protection.
Helpful primer: the Texas Department of Insurance homeowner resources explain storm recovery basics and contractor tips.
This article is general information, not legal advice.
Material and detail choices we recommend in Fort Worth
Galvanized or painted step flashing sized for your shingle exposure; copper or stainless on chimneys as requested.
Counter-flashing cut into mortar joints on brick and proper pan flashing at stucco/stone.
Kick-outs with enough throw to miss trim boards during high flow.
High-temperature synthetic underlayment at sidewalls and valleys; it stays put in August.
Balanced ventilation so attic heat doesn’t cook sealants along wall lines.
After-storm checklist (10 minutes, no ladder)
Photograph the stain with a coin for size.
Walk outside and look along wall-to-roof lines for siding swelling or paint bubbles near gutters.
Check downspouts and splash blocks for unusual granule piles.
From the attic hatch, look (don’t walk) for dark seams above the stained room.
Call for a free inspection; ask for same-day dry-in if water is active.
Save receipts and note the date/time of the storm.
A typical Fort Worth service call (short story)
A homeowner off Hulen noticed a coffee-colored ring by the den wall after two days of wind-driven rain. Shingles looked fine. In the attic we traced a faint trail back to the sidewall where painted-shut soffit vents and missing kick-out had pushed water behind the siding. On the roof we found short step flashing and counter-flashing caulked to the brick face. We opened the wall line, reset step flashing course-by-course, cut proper counter-flashing into the mortar, installed a kick-out, and replaced a soft deck strip. The next rain left the stain unchanged—no spread.
Preventive maintenance for wall and chimney lines
Keep soffit intakes clear; blocked intake raises attic heat and dries sealants.
Trim limbs that brush wall-to-roof corners—they scuff shingles and loosen flashings.
After painters finish, confirm they didn’t seal soffit vents or bury kick-outs.
Check for efflorescence or water streaks on brick above roof lines—early hints of counter-flashing issues.
Schedule a yearly look at walls, chimneys, and kick-outs before fall rains.
CTA — Free Local Inspection
Need flashing repair in Fort Worth? Talk to a local pro today.
Call 945-REC-7777 or Schedule your free inspection →
Internal links
Need immediate help? /roof-repair-fort-worth
Planning a replacement in Dallas? /roof-replacement-dallas
East Texas homeowner? /roofing-tyler-east-texas
FAQ
How do I know if I’m missing a kick-out flashing?If the wall ends right above a gutter and you see stains or swollen siding at that corner, you likely need a kick-out to divert water into the gutter.
Can I just caulk the brick-to-metal gap?Caulk is a temporary band-aid. Proper counter-flashing tucks into a cut mortar joint so water can’t sneak behind it.
Do I need to replace all flashing during a roof repair?Not always. If step flashing is sized and placed correctly, we reset what’s sound, replace short or rusted pieces, and add a kick-out if it’s missing.
Why does my leak only show in north winds?Wind-driven rain pushes sideways and finds lifted seals or tiny wall gaps that vertical rain never reaches.
What if my shingles are fine but the leak keeps returning?That’s classic flashing or underlayment trouble. We map the water path and open the wall line if needed to fix it at the source.
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