What do images of drip edge show?
Short answer. Drip edge is a thin strip of bent metal, usually aluminum or galvanized steel, running along the edges of the roof. In images it shows as a narrow metal band just under the first row of shingles, with an L-shaped or T-shaped profile that hangs over the fascia so water drips clear of the wood.
The profiles you will see
- L-style, sometimes called Type C: a simple right-angle bend. One leg lies on the roof deck and the other hangs down over the fascia.
- D-style or T-style, often called Type D: like the L-style but with a small outward kick at the bottom, which throws water farther from the fascia. In cross-section images it looks a little like a lowercase t.
- F-style or extended drip edge: a longer face, used when the fascia sits lower or when covering older trim.
- Gutter apron: a long face that angles down into the gutter so roof water lands inside the trough instead of behind it.
Materials and colors
Bare galvanized steel looks dull silver. Painted aluminum and steel come in common trim colors such as white, brown, black, bronze and gray. Copper drip edge shows up on high-end homes and turns brown, then green, with age.
What it is not
In photos, drip edge is easy to confuse with nearby parts. The fascia is the wide board behind it. The gutter is the trough hanging below it. Rake trim on siding is a separate channel along the wall. Drip edge is the thin metal piece tucked between the shingles and the fascia.
Reading photos of your own roof
If close-up photos show the end of the wood deck or the top of the fascia right under the shingles, with no metal lip, drip edge is missing. Rust streaks, bent sections and gaps at corners are worth noting too.