Athens Roof & Leak
Leak repair

Chimney and flashing leaks

Flashing fails more often than shingles do, and the chimney is where it fails first. Masonry and roof framing move at different rates, which over years opens the joint where counter-flashing is set into the mortar. Step flashing up the sides, counter-flashing into the brick, and the cricket behind the stack are the usual suspects on a leak where the roof itself looks fine. On older chimneys the mortar joint holding the counter-flashing is often the actual failure rather than the metal.

Call (229) 235-1425

What the job involves

  • Inspection of step flashing, counter-flashing, apron and cricket
  • Assessment of the mortar joint holding the counter-flashing
  • Removal and rebuild of failed flashing rather than sealant over the top
  • Check of the chimney crown and cap for separate water entry
  • Photographs of the failure before work starts

Signs you need it

  • Staining on the ceiling near the chimney breast
  • Damp on the chimney breast itself, inside the house
  • Rust streaks on the shingles below the stack

Where we cover

Each area has its own page for chimney and flashing leaks.

Questions

Can you just seal it rather than rebuild the flashing?

Sealant buys a season at most. It is applied over a joint that is moving, so it cracks at the first full temperature cycle. Where flashing has genuinely failed, rebuilding it is the repair; caulk is a way of paying twice.

Could the water be coming through the brickwork rather than the roof?

It can. A cracked crown, a missing cap, or spalled brick lets water into the stack and it shows up inside looking exactly like a flashing leak. Worth checking both — they are different trades and different fixes.

Related work

Describe what you are seeing

Where a roof leaks in east Georgia usually tells you how old the house is. Chimneys and valleys on older stock, penetrations on newer builds. Both are fixable without replacing the roof.

Call (229) 235-1425
Call (229) 235-1425