Drip edge is a strip of metal flashing installed along the edges of a roof, at the eaves and the rakes, before the shingles. It guides rainwater off the roof and into the gutters instead of letting it run back underneath and soak the fascia and the deck. Drip edge is a small, inexpensive piece, but leaving it out lets water wick into the wood at the most vulnerable edge of the roof, where rot starts.
Water naturally clings to surfaces and likes to curl back under an edge rather than drop straight off. On a roof without drip edge, rain running off the bottom row of shingles can hug the underside and run back into the wood at the very edge of the roof. Over years, that constant dampness rots the fascia board and the edge of the decking.
Drip edge solves this with a simple bent piece of metal. One face lies on the roof under the underlayment and shingles, and the other face hangs slightly out over the edge so water drips cleanly off and into the gutter. It also gives the shingles a firm, straight edge to overhang, which keeps them from sagging or curling at the perimeter over time.
For a homeowner, drip edge is one of those quiet details that separates a complete roof job from a quick one. It is required by most current building codes and costs very little in materials, yet it protects the part of the roof that fails first. If an estimate does not mention edge metal, it is fair to ask whether drip edge is included.
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