Chimney saddles
Missing or failed crickets are built or rebuilt and flashed to end leaks on the high side.
Masonry Repair
Chimney Flashing Repair Ford City, PA
Leaks at the roof line in Ford City usually come from flashing that has pulled loose, rusted through or been patched with tar, before the leak rots the roof deck and framing. One call to (724) 412-9260 reaches a nearby chimney flashing pro.
The joint where a chimney passes through the roof is one of the most leak-prone spots on any house, and flashing is what keeps it dry. Because masonry and roof framing expand, contract and settle at different rates, a rigid seal will crack, which is why flashing is built in overlapping layers. Years of sun, freezing and thawing loosen the counter flashing, rust thin metal and dry out every bead of caulk.
A correctly flashed chimney uses several pieces that work together. Along the sides, individual step flashing pieces are layered with the shingles, while counter flashing is let into the mortar joints and lapped over them. On the uphill side, a cricket keeps water from pooling against the chimney, which matters most on wide chimneys.
A Ford City chimney sweep will want to know a few things about the leak. It helps to know the age of the roof, which side of the chimney the stain is on and whether it only leaks during heavy rain or snowmelt. Visible tar or silicone around the base of the chimney is a sign someone has patched it before, which is worth mentioning.
Chimney Flashing Repair is often paired with chimney leak repair and chimney waterproofing, depending on the cause.
Looking for Ford City chimney flashing repair? Call (724) 412-9260 to reach a nearby chimney sweep.
Call nowThe process
What happens during a flashing repair
Flashing repair is about rebuilding the layers so water always runs over a joint, never into it.
Check the flashing
Each part of the flashing is inspected, along with the condition of the surrounding roofing. The attic side of the roof deck is checked for rot as well.
Test for leaks
Before replacing flashing, the crown, cap and brick are checked, since they can send water down the same path. That keeps you from paying for new flashing when the leak is somewhere else.
Remove old patches
The technician strips off old roofing cement and corroded pieces down to the roof deck. Soft or rotted sheathing under the old flashing is repaired first.
Side flashing
New step flashing is installed piece by piece along the sides, interwoven with each course of shingles. An apron goes across the front, and an underlayment membrane is often added around the base for extra protection.
Cut a reglet
The top layer is set into the masonry itself, overlapping the step flashing below. Surface-mounted flashing held on by caulk alone is avoided because it fails quickly.
Add a cricket
Where water pools behind the chimney, a cricket, also called a saddle, is built to shed it. That removes the spot where water sits and soaks into the flashing.
What is included
What flashing repair covers
Apron flashing
Front flashing is renewed so runoff clears the chimney where water from the chimney face drains off.
Side flashing
Loose step flashing is reset or renewed to stop leaks along the sides of the chimney.
Fixing old patches
Old sealant repairs are cleaned off so the repair does not depend on sealant.
Cap flashing
Loose counter flashing is replaced and set into the masonry instead of being held on with caulk.
Related service
Chimney Flashing Replacement Ford City, PA
Full replacement is the better choice when flashing is corroded, loose along much of its length or buried under layers of failed tar. Replacement means removing everything down to the roof deck and installing new step flashing, counter flashing, an apron and, where needed, a cricket. Many roofers reuse old chimney flashing when they replace shingles, which is a common reason new roofs leak at the chimney.
If you are replacing the roof on a Ford City home, that is the ideal time to replace the chimney flashing too. The step flashing has to be woven in with the new shingles, so the timing between the roofer and the chimney work matters. It is also a good time to have the crown and mortar checked, since the roof around the chimney is already open.
Local help
Chimney Flashing Repair Near Me
Flashing leaks in Ford City often show up after a big storm, heavy snow or a roof replacement that reused the old chimney flashing. From Ford City out to neighboring communities such as Kittanning, Clinton, Hyde Park and Vandergrift, freeze-thaw and summer heat both work on the joint between the chimney and the roof, and fixing it before the decking rots keeps the repair small.
For chimney flashing repair in Ford City, PA or nearby towns like Kittanning, Clinton, Hyde Park and Vandergrift, call (724) 412-9260 to reach a chimney sweep who covers your street.
Chimneys in this climate
Winters here are long and cold, and the heating season usually runs from October well into April. The hardest thing on brick here is not the cold itself but the constant swing above and below freezing: rain and melting snow soak into the crown and joints, then freeze and push them apart, and each winter widens the cracks a little more. Nor'easters drive rain sideways into flashing and mortar that looked fine in summer. Most homeowners in Ford City, PA schedule a sweep in early fall, and a repair check after a hard winter.
Why call
Why act early
Safer fires
A chimney problem fixed early rarely spreads to the masonry, the liner or the house.
Sweeps who know Ford City
Chimney sweeps in Ford City know the chimneys and fireplaces common in local homes.
Know what happens next
Ask the sweep about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Chimney Flashing Repair questions
What are the signs of bad chimney flashing?
Stains beside the chimney, dark wood in the attic and loose or corroded metal at the roof line are the usual giveaways. A leak in the firebox is more likely the cap or crown, while a leak along the ceiling beside the chimney is more often the flashing. Testing with a hose confirms which part is leaking.
Why did caulking my chimney flashing not stop the leak?
Surface sealant cannot keep up with the movement between masonry and roof framing, so it fails. When the flashing itself is the problem, sealant just hides it for a season. Sometimes the source is the masonry or crown above, not the flashing at all.
Should chimney flashing be replaced with a new roof?
Replacing it during a reroof is strongly recommended. Since step flashing is layered with the shingles, replacing it later means disturbing the new roof. Many leaks on newer roofs come from reused chimney flashing.
What is a chimney cricket?
A cricket, also called a saddle, is a small peaked structure built on the uphill side of a chimney to split water and snow around it. Without one, water, leaves and ice collect behind a wide chimney and work their way under the flashing. Building codes generally require a cricket on chimneys more than about thirty inches wide that do not meet the ridge.
Can chimney flashing be repaired, or does it need replacing?
What the metal looks like decides that. Sound flashing with a loose top edge can usually be reset into a fresh cut in the mortar. Corroded, damaged or heavily patched flashing is usually replaced outright.
More questions? Call (724) 412-9260
Related services
Chimney Leak Repair
Stopping chimney leaks at the source, before the water rots framing or ruins the flue.
Learn moreChimney Waterproofing
Treating chimney brick and mortar with a breathable water repellent, to slow freeze-thaw damage and spalling.
Learn moreChimney Crown Repair
Repairing the concrete slab that caps the top of the chimney, with a proper overhang and drip edge.
Learn moreChimney Repair
Chimney repairs from the cap and crown down to the firebox, before small damage turns into a rebuild.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all chimney servicesGet chimney flashing repair help in Ford City
Call (724) 412-9260 for a local chimney sweep in Ford City and nearby towns.
(724) 412-9260
Free to call. No forms to fill out.