Guide
Dormers and flashing on older Madison homes
Written by Ultra Power Construction. The credentials page states that this contractor is licensed and insured in New Jersey and lists GAF and Owens Corning programs. Updated 2026-09-27.
Older Madison houses leak where the roof changes direction: dormer cheeks, chimney steps, and sidewalls. The middle of a shingle slope is often innocent.
- Dormer cheeks
- Chimneys and sidewalls
- When the field joins the conversation
Dormer cheeks
Step flashing has to turn the corner and get counterflashed into the dormer wall. A face-caulked joint opens in a year. If the sheathing under the cheek is soft, the carpentry is part of the repair.
Chimneys and sidewalls
Same rule as other pre-war towns: counterflashing in the mortar, kick-out at the bottom of a sidewall so water leaves the wall. Missing kick-out flashing rots the wall, not just the roof deck.
When the field joins the conversation
If tabs are curled on every plane, flashing repairs are a short delay. If the field is sound, fix the joint and leave the slope. Write that choice so you are not sold a tear-off for a cheek.