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Without the proper roof protection, your home can sustain water damage that may shorten its lifespan and affect the interior of your home. Thankfully, installing a drip edge provides you with an easy solution. Drip edges abide by most building codes, so little prevents you from installing them and protecting your roof.

A drip edge consists of metal flashing installed at the edge of your roof to move water away from the fascia and keep the underlying roof structure dry. It will hang off your roof above the fascia, keeping essential parts of your roof safe from damage. Drip edges come built with non-corrosive materials, ensuring their longevity and their appearance.

If you want to install new drip edges or need roofing services, call (402) 464-2418 today. Nelson Contracting has been servicing roofs in Lincoln, NE, for years, and we would love to show you why so many customers choose us above other roofing contractors.

Why Do I Need a Drip Edge on My Roof?

Your roof’s edges come into contact with the most water, as they are where the water runs off from the rest of the house. Without drip edges installed, water can get among and under the shingles, leading to strain and deterioration of the area beneath.

The fascia, or the area beneath the roof edge, can seriously decay if enough water gets to it. You even run the risk of breaking the joists and trusses supporting the fascia board. Replacing previously installed drip edges gives you a preemptive way to circumvent water damage to various parts of your roof.

How Can a Drip Edge Help?

As well as protecting what rests beneath the edge of your roof, drip edges offer protection in the following ways:

• Architectural gaps: Protects gaps in your house’s architecture, shielding the bottom of your roof from building ice dams during the colder seasons
• Railings: Ensures any railings or fixtures below the roofline remain safe from water, as all the water will follow the drip edges down and off your home
• Roof framework: Provides added support to the framework of your roof, holding shingles and fascia in place. Keeping your roof sturdy is integral to keeping it safe.
• Gutters: Works in tandem with the gutters, giving your house double the water-shedding ability. Together, these two structures will keep water constantly flowing, preventing any water from building up and causing problems.

Naturally, all these reasons double by giving your roof a longer lifespan, allowing it to live through countless seasons of treacherous downpours and snowstorms. Shingle roofs, in particular, benefit from having drip edges, as they enable the outermost shingles to dry themselves with ease.

Drip edges overall add value to your house, especially if you want to resell. If you have more questions about why a drip edge is necessary, or you want to know more about how a drip edge would be installed in your home, contact a reputable roofing contractor today. The Midwestern winters can be rough, and you don’t want to be unprepared for the inclement weather.

Types of Drip Edges

You can choose from three standard drip edges to install on your home. All perform well, especially as replacements for damaged existing drip edges. Consider your options ahead of time, as some homes require heavier-duty drip edges depending on how they hold water and respond to weather.

Hemmed Drip Edge or D-Metal

Also known as T-style, these drip edges include an open hemmed edge toward the bottom, pointing backward at the house. By simulating this downward motion, the drip edge guides water further downward after it leaves the roof. Using capillaries, the hemmed drip edge sheds water more quickly than standard models.

L-Shaped Drip

The L-style drip edge bends at a 90-degree angle, forming the “L.” This straightforward design works well with lower incline roofs. With a relatively short drip edge, this style will not prevent as much water-shedding speed as D-metal; however, these drip edges will still get the job done.

Gutter Apron

The gutter apron or F-style appears most like the L-style drip edge, only with a bigger leading edge. This allows the drip edge to fit over the gutter to your home, leading water further down along the side of the house. These drip edges work well if you want to cover the gutters to your home with something more pleasing looking.

Have a Project in Mind? Contact the Pros

When it comes to water and your roof’s structure, you do not want to delay repairing or replacing your property’s drip edges. Call (402) 464-2418 today to get a free estimate. Installing drip edges through Nelson Contracting will give you the peace of mind that your roof is safe and sound—ensuring the stability of your entire home.

If you need to install a new roof, then you’ve likely considered various options available to you. Today, metal roofs are all the rage. They can be visually appealing and practical, and they can withstand harsh weather better than many other types of roofing. But how much does a metal roof cost?

In this post, our dependable roofing experts at Nelson Contracting in Omaha, NE, will detail how much metal roofing typically costs and the various factors that will affect their cost. Read more

A good roof protects a home’s inhabitants from the fiercest storms and the most sweltering heat. Replacing a roof is a big investment, but it’s also an opportunity to make an important choice: asphalt or metal roofing?

Nelson Contracting has been installing, repairing, and replacing roofs in Lincoln, NE, for over 20 years. Our experts know all the pros and cons of each material, and they’re standing by to discuss them with you at (402) 464-2418. Meanwhile, here is a comparison to help you understand some of the differences between asphalt vs. metal roof materials. Read more