 Unless it will be protected from rain by the house's eaves or a solid roof, a roof ledger that is fastened directly to a house with wood siding should be capped with galvanized metal flashing, as shown at right, to prevent water from seeping in behind it.
Where integral flashing isn't possible, such as on a stucco wall, use Z-flashing and caulk the top edge, as shown below. This is a job you must do before fastening the overhead's roof rafters in place.
You can buy L- or Z-shaped flashing or bend it yourself. To bend sheet-metal flashing, make a form by clamping two 2 by 4s together on each side of the metal, and then hammer the metal to create a sharp edge at each fold.
Fit the flashing in place, caulk the top edge, and nail it with galvanized nails long enough to penetrate at least 1 inch into the structural members. Then caulk the nail heads.
If the house is sided with shingles or lap siding, simply slip the metal's top edge up under the bottom edge of the shingles or siding as far as possible.
 Patio Roofs & Gazebos
All you need to know about building outdoor structures, from an inspirational gallery for unique ways to extend your living space outdoors, to step-by-step photo sequences to build an outdoor structure precisely suited to your needs.
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