Better Boot Flashings Last Longer, Seal Better
If ordinary boot flashings are not durable, shouldn't we use better designed and manufactured ones?
I’ve written about Plumbing Vent Boot Flashing Repair, twice. Check out these two links: Method 1 and Method 2, I described the way I flash the plumbing vent pipe to the roof shingles as a second line of leak defense in the event the rubber collar on a pipe boot flashing splits or is damaged. This raises the question — if ordinary boot flashings are not durable, shouldn’t we use better designed and manufactured ones? Absolutely. Commodity rubber boot flashing cost $5 to $10 and are often the only choice stocked at building material dealers. Even my specialty roofing and siding supplier only stocks rubber boot flashing.
The traditional pipe flashing is a soldered lead riser pipe that encloses the vent pipe and folds in the pipe at the top. It’s soldered to a roof flange that layers into the shingles. These need to be fabricated or ordered to match a specific roof pitch and pipe diameter. Some versions have a corrogated section at the bottom of the lead pipe so they can be adjusted to a range of roof slopes. The price runs between $25-$50.
Other versions made from metal or plastic work in a similar fashion – a roof flange with a riser pipe that surrounds the plumbing vent and folds into the vent at the top.
Quarrix Pipe Boot is made from uncoated galvanized or coated steel and has two pieces — the base boot and the top collar pipe (TightLOCK). The pipe boots are available in two roof pitch ranges 3/12 to 8/12 and 8/12 to 14/12 and pipe diameters from 1 1/2 in. to 4 in. . The slope of the flashing can be microadjusted by pinching or pressing the two downslope corners. Quarrix Pipe Boots cost between $20 and $30
PermaBoot is a high impact TPO plastic assembly with a base boot that has a pivoting cap and riser to match a range of roof pitches. A cap collar slides over the base assembly to completely enclose the vent pipe. They also offer a retrofit version to repair damaged boot flashings. The retrofit version PermaBoot slips over an existing boot flashing and covers the vent pipe, the damaged rubber collar and the dome of the flashing. PermaBoot costs $16-$20
Bullet Boot is made from flexible UV protected TPE plastic and comes in seven colors. Bullet Boots are sized by pipe diameter 1 1/2 in. to 4 in. and come as a single piece — boot and riser tube. The top of the riser has a protective screen. There are corregations where the riser tube portion meets base for adjustment to various roof pitches. Bullet Boots cost between $11-$17
Lifetime Tool makes the Ultimate Pipe Flashing. You can think of the Ultimate Pipe Flashing like a superduty pipe boot flashing. Instead of a thin collar the flexible boot is made of thick silicone. The collar that seals to the pipe is ring shaped to help maintain compression and reduce the risk of damage. Available in 5 sizes to fit PVC pipe from 1 1/2 in. to 4 in. And when cast iron, steel or copper pipes are encountered Lifetime Tool has the EASYSleeve collar that slides over an existing pipe so the Ultimate Boot Flashing can be used. The Ultimate Pipe Flashing costs between $55-$57
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I tried ordering these products. Only the PermaBoot is readily available from any normal store. The Quarrix Pipe Boot seems to be the same thing as FJ Moore's boot. Both are hard to get. BulletBoot's online ordering doesn't seem to work well, and they don't have them on the west coast anywhere. Lifetime Tool's flashings are super expensive.