Gutters and Drip Edge With a New Roof in Springfield, MA

What drip edge is

Drip edge is a bent metal strip along the eaves and rakes. It holds water away from the fascia and the edge of the roof deck, so it drips into the gutter instead of running behind it. The current residential building code requires it on asphalt shingle roofs, and many older houses around Springfield never had it.

• At the eaves, it usually goes under the ice barrier
• At the rakes, it usually goes over the underlayment
• It covers the edge of the deck so wind-driven rain cannot wick in

Should the gutters be replaced too?

Gutters hang from the fascia just below the roof edge. Doing them with the roof is often easier, because the roofer can set the drip edge and gutter to work together. Consider it if:

• The gutters are sagging, leaking at seams or pulling away
• The fascia behind them is soft or stained
• Ice has bent them in past winters
• They are undersized for a large roof slope

If the gutters are sound, they can usually be loosened and reset. Ask how the roofer plans to handle them during the tear-off.

Ice and the roof edge

Gutters full of ice add weight and can help hold back meltwater at the eaves. The real defence against ice dams is in the attic (insulation and airflow) and the ice barrier under the shingles. See ice dams and your next roof.