Is your chimney leaking and you don’t know why? You may have just had your roof fixed and you were assured that it wouldn’t leak – so why is it leaking? You might be looking for the leak in all the wrong places.
We get calls from homeowners who have experienced water leakage from their masonry chimneys such as water leaking from the fireplace or water running down the inside wall in the living room and their isn’t any logical reason why the leaking continues. Chimney flashing is made from galvanized or stainless steel, lead, copper or lead-coated copper depending on whether you live in a cold or warm climate your home’s roofing material, and the dimensions of your chimney.
There are three kinds of chimney flashing including:
– Base or step flashing that extends under the shingles and rises upwards and firmly pressing against the sides of the chimney.
-Counter flashing which is a metal piece that covers the vertical part of the base flashing and is covering the chimney mortar joints engulfing the top part of the base flashing.
-Cricket or saddle are designed for chimneys that are 30 inches wide or more and in some cases triangulated crickets are installed in areas that receive snow and rain.
Once a leak is detected it’s important to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. In many case the leak is caused by spalled or chipped brickwork but in other cases a leaky chimney is caused by inadequate flashing around the chimney. Chimney flashing or the metal plating covers the base of the chimney making sure that water doesn’t enter.
Sometimes the chimney flashing is just feeling the effects of the regular wear and tear of age or shows signs of wear and corrosion. I have seen cases when it was improperly installed in the first place.
As a team of experienced and certified chimney cleaners we have seen our fair share of inadequate chimney flashing over the years. We know how to troubleshoot the problem and come up with a feasible solution for all types of budgets. We’ll properly inspect the flashing and chimney to ensure that there aren’t any residual issues that might have resulted from the flashing before we give it our seal of approval. PCS cares about your home and your family’s safety. At PCS, we take the time to make sure that chimney works the way it should by following the accepted Certified Chimney Professional guidelines. PCS, your Houston chimney cleaning pro’s, Keeping You Safe, Keeping You Warm!
