In August 2026, Loudoun Roofing fixed a leak in Lovettsville, Loudoun County, Virginia, where a lower roof meets a two-story sidewall. The crew removed the siding and shingles along the wall, installed ice and water shield and new step flashing behind the siding, and re-shingled the area.
Project at a glance
- Location: Lovettsville, Loudoun County, Virginia
- Project: Roof-to-wall leak repair
- Problem: Water getting in where the roof meets the siding
- Fix: New step flashing behind the siding, ice and water shield, wall wrap and new shingles
- Inspection: August 7, 2026
- Completed: August 17, 2026
- Contractor: Loudoun Roofing HIC
About Lovettsville
Lovettsville is a town in northern Loudoun County, a few miles from the Potomac River, in an area first settled by German families in the 1700s. Learn more from the Town of Lovettsville.
The challenge and how we solved it
Where a roof runs into a wall, water has to be steered away by step flashing tucked behind the siding. On this home, the inspection found a hole rotted through the roof deck right at the wall line, nail holes and exposed nails in the shingles, a gap between the siding and the roof, and water-stained sheathing behind the siding.
Caulking the gap would not have stopped it. The crew removed the siding and the shingles along the wall, installed ice and water shield, tucked new step flashing behind the siding, taped and wrapped the wall, then re-shingled and put the siding back.
Before
What we did
- Inspected the wall line and documented the damage.
- Removed the siding along the wall.
- Removed the shingles along the wall.
- Installed ice and water shield along the roof-to-wall joint.
- Installed new step flashing behind the siding.
- Taped the seams and installed wrap on the sidewall.
- Installed new shingles and put the siding back.
The finished project
Why these materials
Step flashing. Step flashing is a series of bent metal pieces woven in with each course of shingles and tucked behind the siding, so water running down the wall lands on top of the shingles instead of behind them.
Ice and water shield. Ice and water shield is a self-adhering waterproof membrane that goes under the shingles. It helps keep out water that gets past the shingles during heavy rain or ice dams.
Keeping your roof in good shape
- Check your attic a couple of times a year for water stains, and keep attic vents clear so moisture can escape.
- Clean your gutters after the fall leaf drop and again in spring. Clogged gutters push water back under the edge of the roof.
- After strong storms or wind warnings from the National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington office in Sterling, look over your roof from the ground for missing or lifted shingles.
- Look at where your roof meets a wall. Gaps, missing caulk or staining on the siding there can mean the flashing behind it has failed.
Frequently asked questions
Water running down the wall has to be steered onto the shingles by step flashing behind the siding. If that flashing is missing or failing, water gets behind the shingles, as it did on this Lovettsville home.
Caulk can slow it down for a while, but the lasting fix is correct step flashing behind the siding, which is what was installed here.
Usually, because the step flashing has to go behind it. On this repair, the crew removed and reinstalled the siding along the wall.
Most take a day. This one was done on August 17, 2026.
Planning a roof project in Lovettsville?
Planning a roof project in Lovettsville? See our Lovettsville roofing page, learn about roof replacement and roof repair, browse more completed projects, or contact us for a free estimate.