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Kick-out flashing at a gutter abutment to side wall (C) Daniel  Friedman at InspectApedia.comKickout Flashing on Roofs
Diverter Flashing assures proper drainage at roof-wall, gutter, chimney or or other leak-risk spots

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about building kick-out flashing or diverter flashing installation, inspection, leaks, troubleshooting, repairs

What is a kick-out flashing or diverter flashing, why is it used and how is it installed?

Page top photo: this particular diverter flashing installed at the bottom of roof-wall flashing and intended to divert water or kick-out water into the gutter is not installed correctly, and during rain or melting snow it sends water running down the wall at the end of the gutter.

We discuss this installation in more-detail below.

This article series provides details of proper flashing use, materials, installation, inspection & repair on all types of buildings, including roof flashing, wall flashing, window and door flashing, plumbing vents, chimneys etc.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

- Daniel Friedman, Publisher/Editor/Author - See WHO ARE WE?

Diverter Flashings Used on Buildings

Kickout or diverter flashing fro Ddryflekt.com cited & discussed at InspectApedia.comA kickout or diverter flashing is an extra section of metal or vinyl flashing that is installed to direct water away from a potential problem area such as where a lower roof-edge gutter end abuts a building side-wall or where a roof valley's water flow volume is so great that it over-shoots a gutter.

Kick-out flashing directs rainwater into rain gutters where it can be carried away from the structure. Kick-out flashing, also referred to as diverters, can be fabricated on site using sheet metal but these can be undersized and may have unsealed seams that allow leakage.

Prefabricated kick-out flashings are available as seamless, molded plastic pieces or metal with welded seams.

These materials would be installed by roofers in coordination with house wrap and siding installers. This task should be included in the contract for the appropriate trade depending on the workflow at the specific job site. - BASC, U.S. DOE, cited below.

Step flashings and kick-out diverters are required in the 2009 and 2012 IRC (R703.8) and 2015 and 2018 IRC (R703.4; R903.2.1).

The proper installation of a diverter flashing in this location is to set it in place during the roof installation, using the diverter flashing assembly as the first section of step flashing along the roof-wall intersection.

Some kickout flashing installation instructions put the roof-portion of the flashing below the first shingle course, others such as the kickoutflashing.com instructions below, put the flashing atop the first shingle course.

The diverter flashing shown here is produced by DryFlekt, Tel: 877-985-1010 Web: https://www.dryflekt.com/

Kick-out Flashing Installation Details

Below, from WALL FLASHING DETAILS is an illustration from Steve Bliss' Best Construction Practices, we see a sketch of the proper installation of a kickout flashing.

Roof Wall Flashing Detail (C) Wiley and Sons - S Bliss

The first shingle course, then, will go atop the kick-out flashing and eaves membrane (ice and water shield) that is in-turn put down atop the upper flange of the roof drip-edge.

Below on this page we provide links to several kick-out flashing installation guides, building codes and standards.

Pre-fab metal or plastic kick-out flashing products are sold by building supply stores and online vendors as well as directly from some of the kickout / diverter flashing manufacturers themselves.

Left-hand vs Right-hand Kickout Flashing

How to determine if you need to buy left-hand or right-hand diverter or kick-out flashing, adapted from americanflashings.com cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com

Watch out: when buying a pre-fab kickout flashing take note of whether the roof slope is left-hand or right-hand, as illustrated by American Flashing Co's kickout flashing drawing and illustrations shown here, adapted by InspectApedia.

Face the main building wall against which a lower roof is constructed. Then your left-hand will indicate the left-hand slope.

These same left- and right- diverter or kickout flashing types are applicable when flashing the left-side or right side of a chimney.

Kick-out flashing is sold in left-hand or right-hand models -  be sure to get the correct version for your roof  - adapted fro Americanflashings.com cited & dicussed at InspectApedia.com

Damage from Leaks where Kick-out or Diverter Flashing Is Needed

Can the kickout diverter flashing be destroyed ?

1. Can the kickout diverter flashing be destroyed by wind or rain and how can you tell that this has happened?

2. What damage would this do to the roof if this has happened? - On 2017-01-19 by Bibi A -

This Q&A were posted originally at ROOF JOB DISPUTE FAQs-2

Kickout Flashing - Diverter Flashing Proper Installation vs roof flashing "destroyed by wind" ?

@Bibi:

Absolutely, metal components can be blown off of a roof IF they are not sufficiently fastened down or if there were installation errors OR if there was unusual weather such as a hurricane or tornado or severe wind-storm.

I'm not sure how rain could damage metal flashing on a roof but maybe a combination of water under or behind flashing and frost can damage the installation - if you're in a freezing climate.

My photo is not of kickout or diverter flashing but shows what happens when wind gets under metal roof components - using an antique barn in Poughkeepsie, New York, as an example.

Metal standing seam roof blow-off (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com

I could offer more specifics if you post a photo of your diverter flashing.

Watch out: the kick-out flashing has to be properly-installed and nailed to work. In DryFlekt's illustration above on this page, notice that the brown kick-out flashing upper segment is tucked behind the copper counter-flashing on the stone wall.

Below is an example of a diverter or kick-out flashing used at a gutter end on a home in Tivoli, New York. I think this kickout flashing installation is improper: the vertical aluminum tab runs behind the gutter end cap rather than into the gutter.

So some of the water running down the roof-wall abutment may go behind the gutter end cap and down the building wall.

Kick-out flashing at a gutter abutment to side wall (C) Daniel  Friedman at InspectApedia.com

The damage done to your home if the flashing is displaced or leaks? Well as Mark Cramer says, ... it depends.

If water enters the roof structure or building walls there's risk of mold contamination in the short term and rot or insect damage in the long run.

Kickout Flashing Codes, Products & Installation Guides

Kick-Out flashing installatiobn detail excerpted from Hammer & Hand Construction Best Practices Manual cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com

Above: an illustration of some of the best-practices details when installing kick-out flashing,from Hammer & Hand's manual cited in detail just below.

Kickout flashing installation details from kickoutflashing.com PBZ cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com

Above: Kickout flashing installation details from KickoutFlashing - PBZ in Lititz PA, cited below. Note that this illustration shows a "left-hand" or "left slope" roof kickout flashing.

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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2023-07-26 by InspectApedia Publisher (mod) - Add flashing & counter flashing at siding abutment to gutter end and add diverter flashing at roof-wall

Flashing omitted at roof-wall and over gutter end cap cause leaks (C) Inspectapedia.com Ed@Ed,

You will want to read two of our articles to fix the leaky siding & J-channel & gutter end in your photo:

See

VINYL SIDING INSPECTION & REPAIR

https://inspectapedia.com/exterior/Vinyl_Siding_Inspection.php where we explain the proper use of J-channel and its installation

more-specifically

VINYL SIDING J-CHANNEL MISTAKES Cause Costly Building Damage

And you probably want to install

  1. Diverter flashing at the lower edge of the roof at the wall

    a proper kickout or diverter flashing - up under the siding and out into the gutter rather than sending water down the wall along that caulked butt joint between gutter end cap and wall.

    See the article above on this page, where we moved this discussion - we welcome your further photos, questions, comments - best posted on that page.

    and also
  2. Siding flalshing at the gutter end

    Flashing under the siding and extending out over the gutter end cap
    where presently you are relying on a blob of sealant

On 2023-07-26 by Ed

J-channel is allowing water behind the siding, how to divert the water away?

Flashing omitted at roof-wall and over gutter end cap cause leaks (C) Inspectapedia.com Ed

This Q&A were originally posted at HOW TO CONTACT InspectApedia.com 


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