Our crew recently finished a residential roofing installation in the Lake Vermilion area of Northern Minnesota, utilizing premium interlocking metal shingles. While a new roof completely changes a home’s curb appeal, the real proof of a contractor’s skill lies in the technical execution of tight corners, valleys, and wall intersections.
Today, we are highlighting a close-up detail from this St. Louis County project: the custom metal flashing built to seal a natural stone chimney.
The Challenge of Sealing Natural Stone Chimneys
Stone chimneys look beautiful, but their uneven, rugged surfaces make them notoriously difficult to waterproof. Traditional asphalt roofers often rely heavily on thick layers of roofing cement or caulk where the shingles meet the stone. Over time, the sun bakes this sealant, causing it to crack, separate, and leak.
Because metal shingles are a permanent, lifetime roofing solution, the flashing details must be engineered to match that same lifespan.
Our Custom Flashing Process
- Cutting the Reglet: Our team carefully cuts a continuous horizontal groove (a reglet line) directly into the mortar joints of the stone chimney, a few inches above the roofline.
- Step Flashing: We install individual metal step flashing pieces behind each row of metal shingles as they climb the slope of the roof.
- Counter-Flashing Interlock: We custom-bend heavy-gauge metal counter-flashing on-site. The top lip of this metal fits directly into the cut stone groove.
- Mechanical Water Shed: This technique creates a physical metal overhang. Rainwater running down the stone chimney hits the counter-flashing and is forced out over the shingles, making it physically impossible for water to slide behind the roof deck.
Why Lake Vermilion Homeowners are Switching to Metal Shingles
Northern Minnesota weather is demanding. Between heavy winter snow loads, relentless ice-dam pressure, and severe freeze-thaw cycles, traditional asphalt shingles wear out quickly. Metal shingles provide a superior alternative for the lake homes and year-round residences around Lake Vermilion — from Tower and Soudan to Cook — where owners want permanent protection without sacrificing classic architectural style.
- Class 4 Hail Resistance: These steel shingles absorb impacts from severe hail and wind-driven storm debris without cracking, splitting, or losing protective granules.
- Interlocking Strength: Every shingle locks into the surrounding panels on all four sides. This creates a contiguous shield that prevents the high winds coming off the lake from lifting the edges.
- Aesthetics: From the ground, these shingles closely mimic the deep shadow lines of premium slate or hand-split wood shakes, blending beautifully with the lake homes and cabins found throughout the Lake Vermilion area.
Collins Roofing and Sheet Metal specializes in complex, custom residential and commercial metal installations across Minnesota. Because we handle our own custom sheet metal fabrication, we build every flashing kit on-site to match the exact dimensions of your home’s unique features.
