Helping You Cope with Roof Coping

Roof coping might not be the first thing you think of when shoring up your roof. But that’s okay. The experts at PEAK Roofing & Construction, serving Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin, are here to walk you through all the details about it and show you why it’s so important.

What Exactly is Roof Coping?

Sometimes referred to as wall coping, roof coping sits over the edge of the parapet wall to make sure rain doesn’t run down the sides of your house and create ugly marks on your walls. Said differently, think of it as a continuous cap that circles and hugs the usually short, vertical wall atop your house and is usually a few feet higher than your roof proper.

Is Roof Coping Just Another Term for Roof Flashing?

Admittedly, they’re similar, they both work to protect your home from water damage, but here’s why they’re not the same.

• Flashing is super strong material like lead, aluminum, and copper that’s installed around vents, chimneys, and skylights to prevent water (rain) from getting into your house.
• Coping is, as we mentioned, made of different materials, is typically slanted or curved, and it also protects water from infiltrating the walls of your house when it rains.

While both protect your roof from Mother Nature, they’re installed in and on different areas of your roof. You might think of them as roof cousins, and they are both essential to components to any residential roofing system.

What Happens if Water Does Get Inside the Walls?

We’ve already talked about how water can mar the exterior of your house; how bad it can look. This unsightly effect is called efflorescence. Basically, it’s streaks and patches of white on your exterior walls. Not pretty. This is caused by deposits of natural salts from the wall material. The salts are absorbed by moisture as it travels through the material, so what’s left behind after the water evaporates are a bunch of white blobs.

However, when the temperature dips below freezing and the water within your structure freezes, this causes even bigger issues. During the months it gets below 32 degrees, water expands big time, which can cause cracks in the masonry units, mortar joint failure, and generally wreak havoc on the structural integrity of your house. When this happens, pieces of mortar can fall out of the joints, and this allows even more water to come in. That’s not all. Masonry units can become loose, and ties and anchors can rust to the point of complete collapse. It’s safe to say you need the right kind of roof coping to protect your beloved home.

We’re Here to Help You Manage

Whether it’s roof coping or an entirely new roof, we’re all about you and your needs. We pride ourselves on doing the job right the first time. You can always rely on our superior workmanship and fair prices. We promise to exceed your expectations by giving you the best possible solution within the scope of your project. Finally, we build integrity into everything we do. It’s just who we are.

No matter what you need, PEAK Roofing in Dallas-Forth Worth and Austin has you covered. Don’t hesitate to give us a shout. We’re just a phone call away.