PC-01
Brick Flashing
Keeps water out from behind brick veneer, right where it counts.
Brick veneer is a rain screen, not a waterproof membrane. Wind-driven rain gets behind it. That's expected. Brick flashing is what catches that water and gets it back outside before it reaches your sheathing.
Through-wall and shelf-angle flashing is built into the brick cavity at every place water can collect: above window and door openings (head flashing), at shelf angles on multi-storey walls, and at the base of the veneer where it meets the foundation. Each run ties into weep holes spaced along the mortar joint, so water that gets behind the brick has somewhere to go.
We form every run from a flat sheet on our own brake, so the profile, end dams and drip edge match your detail exactly, not a generic stock shape. Bring a wall section drawing or an existing sample and we'll cut to it.
Edmonton winters put brick veneer through a lot of freeze-thaw cycling, and that's exactly the condition brick flashing is built to handle. Water that gets trapped behind the veneer and freezes can spall brick faces and push mortar joints apart over a few seasons, so a continuous drainage path matters more here than it does in a milder climate. That's why we pay close attention to end dams and lap details, since a flashing run that looks fine on paper but leaves a gap at a splice will still let water track sideways behind the wall.
Material choice usually comes down to what the rest of the assembly is doing. Galvanized steel is the standard for flashing that ends up hidden behind brick or under a sill, since it will never be seen and doesn't need a painted finish to hold up. Prepainted steel makes sense anywhere a flashing edge is exposed, like a reveal at a window head, because it can be run in the same colour as your soffit, fascia or window trim. Aluminum comes up on jobs where weight matters or where the specifier wants a non-ferrous option, though it costs more and dents more easily on site than steel.
A few details separate a flashing run that performs for decades from one that leaks within a few years. Laps at splices should run in the direction water flows, never against it. End dams need to be tall enough to actually contain the water they're supposed to hold back, not just a token fold. And flashing shouldn't be relied on as the only line of defence, it works alongside weep holes, proper mortar joint tooling and, where the detail calls for it, a bead of sealant at penetrations. We're happy to talk through your specific wall section before you order if something about the detail looks off.
Footage & Piece Calculator
Enter the total run length you need to cover. We'll estimate how many stock-length pieces to order, with a waste allowance for laps and cuts.
Estimate
4
pieces of 10 ft stock
40 ft
total footage to order
Estimate only. Call the shop to confirm before ordering.
Spec Sheet
What You're Ordering
- Materials
- Galvanized steel, prepainted steel (any Signature or Classic colour), or aluminum, gauge confirmed with your quote
- Standard features
- Hemmed drip edge, end dams formed on request, kickout diverters for roof/wall intersections
- Piece length
- Cut to your cavity width and wall height, no fixed stock length
- Finish
- Mill, galvanized, or prepainted to match any colour on our Colours page
Questions
Brick Flashing FAQ
What gauge should I order? +
26 gauge galvanized steel covers most residential brick veneer. Commercial jobs or longer spans sometimes call for 24 gauge. Tell us the wall height and we'll recommend a gauge with the quote.
Do you form end dams and kickouts? +
Yes. End dams at head flashing terminations and kickout diverters where a wall meets a roof are both formed in-house, just flag it on your order.
Can flashing be colour-matched to my trim? +
Yes, any prepainted finish from our Signature or Classic colour lines can be run for brick flashing, so it disappears against your soffit or fascia instead of showing as bare metal.
What's the lead time on a custom flashing order? +
Most brick flashing orders are cut and ready within a few business days of a confirmed spec. Call the shop with your dimensions for a firm date.
Do you deliver or is it will-call only? +
Both. Will-call pickup at the shop, or delivery to Edmonton-area jobsites. We also ship Alberta-wide for larger orders.
Should flashing be sealed with caulking as well? +
Flashing is designed to shed water on its own, but at penetrations, terminations and dissimilar-material transitions a compatible sealant is still good practice. We can talk through where that matters for your specific detail.
What's the difference between through-wall and shelf-angle flashing? +
Through-wall flashing runs the full width of the cavity at the base of a wall or above an opening. Shelf-angle flashing sits on top of the steel angle that supports brick veneer at each floor line on multi-storey buildings. Both do the same job of catching water, just at different points in the wall.
Can you supply flashing for a renovation, not just new construction? +
Yes, a good amount of what we cut goes into repair and retrofit work where an original flashing has failed or was never installed correctly. Bring in a sample of what's there now, or a photo and rough dimensions, and we'll match a replacement profile.
Also See
