Rot repair
Rotted decking around the chimney opening is replaced before the new flashing goes in.
Roof Repair
Chimney Flashing Repair Elmwood Park, NJ
A Elmwood Park roofer can rebuild the flashing around a leaking chimney so the joint between brick and shingles sheds water on its own, with a cricket behind wide chimneys to keep water from piling up. Call (551) 367-0165 to reach a local roofer.
Few places on a roof leak as often as the gap around a chimney. Because the chimney and the roof are separate structures, the flashing has to bridge a joint that never stops moving. Any flashing that is rigidly glued to both the brick and the roof tends to crack loose within a few years.
A correctly flashed chimney uses a system, not a single piece. Along the front sits a one-piece apron, step pieces run up each side with the shingles, a saddle or cricket diverts water behind, and counter flashing ground into the mortar covers the top edges. Counter flashing that is only caulked onto the brick face is one of the most common causes of chimney leaks.
Not every leak around a chimney is a flashing leak. A cracked crown, a missing cap, porous brick or failed mortar joints can soak the masonry, and the water then runs down inside the chimney and shows up exactly where a flashing leak would. A careful look covers both the flashing and the visible masonry above it.
If the problem goes deeper than it first looked, an Elmwood Park roofer may also recommend flashing repair or roof leak repair.
Looking for Elmwood Park chimney flashing repair? Call (551) 367-0165 to talk to a local roofer.
Call nowThe process
The chimney flashing process
Here is how a roofer typically handles chimney flashing.
Find the source
The roofer looks at the flashing on all four sides, the mortar joints, the crown and cap and the attic framing around the chimney. A hose test on one side at a time can confirm the source.
Remove old metal
Old flashing and sealant come off, and the shingles next to the brick are lifted or removed. Any decking that has gone soft from years of leaks is replaced.
Set the apron
Ice and water shield goes down first, then the apron across the front and step flashing up each side, one piece per shingle course. Nothing is fastened to the masonry at this stage, so the roof and chimney can move.
Install the back pan
On the uphill side, a back pan or saddle is fitted, and on wider chimneys a cricket is framed to split the water around it. Building codes call for a cricket behind chimneys wider than about thirty inches across the slope.
Seal the top edge
Counter flashing is let into a ground-out mortar joint and sealed, overlapping the base flashing below. Set into the brick, it lasts far longer than metal glued to the face.
What is included
Chimney flashing parts
Side flashing
Step pieces up both sides of the chimney are replaced nailed to the deck, not the brick.
Cap flashing
Counter flashing is set into ground-out mortar joints instead of caulked to the face.
Cricket installation
A cricket is framed behind wide chimneys so water cannot pond against the brick.
Front flashing
A one-piece apron is installed across the downhill face with counter flashing over it.
Related service
Chimney Flashing Replacement Elmwood Park, NJ
Replacing the flashing outright is the better choice when patches keep failing or the metal has corroded. Patching a system that was installed wrong rarely works, because the problem is in how the pieces overlap. It is also the right moment to add a cricket or back pan.
The metal choice matters around masonry. Lime in mortar corrodes bare aluminum, so copper, coated steel or coated aluminum are common choices. The roofer can explain the options that suit your chimney.
Related service
Chimney Leak Repair Elmwood Park, NJ
A chimney can leak at the roof line or from the top down, and the fix is different for each. Flashing leaks show up during rain at the roof line, often worse on the uphill side, while masonry leaks can appear on any side and may continue for a while after the rain stops as soaked brick drains. A careful water test, one side at a time, can tell the two apart.
If the masonry is the source, the fix may involve the crown, the cap or the brick. A cracked crown needs sealing or rebuilding, a missing cap lets rain straight down the flue, and porous brick can be treated with a breathable water repellent made for masonry. A roofer can point out these problems while checking the flashing.
Local help
Chimney Flashing Repair Near Me
In Elmwood Park, many chimney flashing problems show up on homes with wide brick chimneys and no cricket behind them. Across Elmwood Park and nearby communities including Garfield, Fair Lawn, Paterson and Lodi, the chimney type decides the fix: masonry needs counter flashing cut into the brick, and a framed chase needs step flashing behind the siding, which is why the roofer starts by looking at how the chimney is built.
For chimney flashing repair in Elmwood Park, NJ or nearby towns like Garfield, Fair Lawn, Paterson and Lodi, call (551) 367-0165 to reach a roofer who covers your street.
Roofs in this climate
Cold winters bring snow, ice and a long stretch of freezing nights. Heat escaping from the attic melts snow on the upper roof, and the water refreezes at the colder eaves, which is how ice dams form and back water up under the shingles. Coastal storms and heavy spring rain drive water sideways into flashing, valleys and old chimneys. That is why roof repair in Elmwood Park is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why act early
Less damage
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Local knowledge
Roofers in Elmwood Park know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Know what happens next
Ask the roofer about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Common questions about chimney flashing repair
Why does my chimney need a cricket?
It is a little roof-like peak that sits behind the chimney. Water flowing down the slope hits the cricket and is steered around both sides. Wide chimneys need one under most building codes.
Is it possible to just reseal chimney flashing?
Small issues, like counter flashing that has pulled out of its mortar joint, can be reset and resealed. If the flashing is corroded or relies on caulk instead of proper lapping, replacing it is the better repair. Adding more tar on top only delays the next leak.
Who fixes chimney flashing, a roofer or a mason?
A roofer handles the flashing, because it has to be woven into the roof. Setting the counter flashing into the brick is routine for roofers who do this work. Damage to the crown, brick or mortar beyond that is masonry work.
How do I know if my chimney flashing is leaking?
Look for damp spots near the chimney after rain, both in the house and in the attic. In the attic, wet or dark framing around the chimney opening points the same way. Outside, look for loose or rusted flashing and old sealant patches. A roofer reached at (551) 367-0165 can find the source.
Why is my chimney still leaking after new flashing?
Water can still get in through the top or sides of the chimney. Open joints, spalling brick and a damaged crown all let water in above the flashing. In some cases, condensation inside the flue is the cause. Call (551) 367-0165 to have the source traced.
More questions? Call (551) 367-0165
Often needed together
Flashing Repair
Fixing the metal flashing at walls, dormers, valleys and roof edges, with new metal instead of another layer of caulk.
Learn moreRoof Leak Repair
Finding where water gets through the roof and sealing it at the source, before wet decking and insulation turn into rot.
Learn moreRoof Leak Detection
Finding stubborn leaks that earlier patches missed, so the repair goes in the right place the first time.
Learn moreShingle Roof Repair
Shingle by shingle repairs that keep a sound roof in service, before a small gap turns into a leak.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesTalk to an Elmwood Park roofer about chimney flashing repair
Call (551) 367-0165 for a local roofer in Elmwood Park and nearby towns.