Ask any roofer what causes most “mystery leaks” — the stain with no visible roof damage — and you'll hear the same answer: flashing. The metal transitions where your roof meets chimneys, valleys, skylights, and vents are the hardest-working waterproofing on the house, and in Dearborn's freeze-thaw climate they're also the first to fail. We don't caulk over bad flashing. We rebuild it.
Chimney flashing is the classic culprit — step flashing that was never woven correctly, counter-flashing pulling away from the mortar, or decades of freeze-thaw working the metal loose. Valleys collect everything the roof sheds, so a failed valley lining leaks fast and wide. Vent boots crack with UV age; skylight curbs leak when the original flashing kit gives up.
Dearborn's older brick homes are especially prone: the masonry moves microscopically with temperature while the metal doesn't, opening hairline gaps that grow every winter.
Caulk over failed flashing is a patch with a short expiration date — it cracks, peels, and traps water behind it. A proper rebuild means removing the surrounding shingles, installing new step or continuous flashing woven into the courses, re-seating counter-flashing into the masonry, and sealing with materials rated for Michigan's temperature swings.
It's more work than a caulk gun. It also lasts.
The stain appears near a chimney, skylight, or where two roof planes meet. The shingles around it look fine. The leak worsens with wind-driven rain but not always with gentle rain. If that sounds familiar, it's very likely flashing — and an attic trace will confirm it before we touch the roof.
Counter-flashing re-seated into brick and mortar, not just surface-sealed.
Failed flashing removed and rebuilt — never just caulked over.
We trace the leak path before recommending flashing work.
Scope and price in writing before any work starts.
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Rusted chimney flashing rebuilt and re-seated. Representative example — not a photo of a client job.
Photo-documented inspection. Written quote before work starts. The cheapest repair is the one you make now.
Call (313) 769-7896