100+ Free NRCA Metal Flashings Practice Questions

The NRCA ProCertified Metal Flashings Installer is a craft skill certification from the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) that validates a roofing worker's competency in installing architectural sheet-metal flashings on low-slope and steep-slope roofs. Candidates must pass both a written knowledge test and a hands-on performance assessment covering NRCA and SMACNA standards for flashings including copings, counterflashings, gravel stops, valleys, step flashings, and through-wall flashings.

The exam covers: metal types and gauges (copper, aluminum, galvanized G90, zinc, stainless steel 304/316); thermal expansion rates and expansion joint design; cleat spacing; hemmed edges; installation techniques including flat-lock seaming, soldering, and flux cleanup; coping and counterflashing installation; gravel stops and drip edges; scuppers and through-wall flashings; step and counterflashing at sidewalls; kickout diverters; open W-valley installation; ANSI/SPRI ES-1 perimeter edge wind resistance; galvanic corrosion avoidance; and OSHA fall protection requirements.

The primary references are the NRCA Roofing Manual: Architectural Metal Flashing and the SMACNA Architectural Sheet Metal Manual. Both cover metal selection, gauges, thermal expansion, joint design, and installation details for architectural sheet-metal flashings. ANSI/SPRI ES-1 covers perimeter edge metal wind resistance requirements. OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M covers fall protection requirements for construction work on rooftops.

Copper expands approximately 1.1 inches per 100 linear feet per 100°F temperature change. Aluminum expands approximately 1.4 inches per 100 linear feet per 100°F — about 27% more than copper. Zinc has the highest expansion rate at approximately 1.7 inches per 100 feet per 100°F. These rates determine maximum panel lengths between expansion joints: copper panels up to 10 ft, aluminum sections up to approximately 8 ft.

Never install copper upslope of aluminum, galvanized steel, or zinc — copper ion runoff will accelerate galvanic corrosion of the more anodic metal. Where dissimilar metals must be in proximity, use non-conductive separators (bituminous tape, neoprene isolation tape) to break the galvanic circuit. Use compatible fasteners: stainless steel or aluminum fasteners for aluminum flashing; copper or stainless nails for copper flashing. Consult the galvanic series to identify incompatible pairings.

NRCA recommends a minimum 24-inch wide sheet-metal valley liner for open W-valleys. The W-shape center rib channels water from both roof planes down the valley centerline. Shingles are cut along a chalk line that starts at least 3 inches from the valley centerline at the ridge and expands to at least 6 inches at the eave, widening approximately 1/8 inch per foot down the valley to increase drainage capacity where flow is greatest.

Each piece of step flashing is fastened with one nail through the horizontal (deck) leg only, placed near the top of the leg close to the vertical wall bend — not through the vertical wall leg. This allows the roof plane and wall plane to move independently with thermal changes. The vertical leg must remain free (unfastened) against the wall; it is covered by counterflashing above and shingles below. Fastening through the vertical leg would restrict differential movement and cause cracking.