Asphalt, wood shakes, slate and other overlapped roofings are fine until they meet an obstruction. Up against a dormer, a vent pipe, a chimney, they need flashing — a patchwork of metal sheets, and ...

Pry, chisel and scrape off old metal flashings and roofing cement. Before you do anything, get your ladder, roof brackets and safety harness set up so you can work safely and efficiently on the roof.

Lee Wallender is a home improvement writer of nearly 20 years and specializes in home remodeling, repair and maintenance. Sami Allen is the managing editor at Forbes Home, with over seven years of ...