Decking repair
Rotted decking around the chimney opening is replaced while the area is open.
Roof Repair
Chimney Flashing Repair Dover, NJ
A Dover roofer can rebuild the flashing around a leaking chimney so the joint between brick and shingles sheds water on its own, and check whether the crown or brick is part of the problem. Dial (862) 430-1002 to talk with a local roofer about the chimney leak.
Few places on a roof leak as often as the gap around a chimney. The brick and the roof framing move independently as the house settles and seasons change, so the seal between them has to allow for movement. 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. The front gets an apron, the sides get step flashing, the back gets a pan or cricket, and counter flashing tucked into the brick seals the top of it all. 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. Sorting out which one is leaking avoids paying for the wrong repair.
Chimney Flashing Repair is often paired with flashing repair and roof leak repair, depending on the cause.
Dealing with this in Dover, NJ right now? Call (862) 430-1002 and describe the problem to a roofer who works in Dover.
Call nowThe process
The chimney flashing process
Chimney flashing is rebuilt from the bottom up, like the rest of a roof.
Check the joint
Before anything comes off, the roofer checks the flashing, the brick, the crown and the wood 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.
Add step flashing
After a self-adhered membrane wraps the base of the chimney, the apron goes on the downhill face and step pieces are woven up both sides with new shingles. Each step piece laps the one below it.
Build a cricket
Behind the chimney, a metal back pan or a framed cricket keeps water and debris from piling up. Building codes call for a cricket behind chimneys wider than about thirty inches across the slope.
Set counter flashing
The roofer grinds a slot into a mortar joint, bends the counter flashing into it and seals it, so it laps down over the step flashing. Set into the brick, it lasts far longer than metal glued to the face.
What is included
Chimney flashing parts
Step flashing
Step pieces up both sides of the chimney are replaced nailed to the deck, not the brick.
Cap flashing
New counter flashing is let into the brick so it overlaps the step flashing.
Front flashing
A one-piece apron is installed across the downhill face with counter flashing over it.
Cricket installation
A cricket is framed behind wide chimneys and covered with metal or membrane and shingles.
Related service
Chimney Flashing Replacement Dover, NJ
Full replacement of chimney flashing is the answer when the existing pieces are rusted, missing or held on by caulk. If the original flashing was installed incorrectly, more sealant cannot correct the lapping. Adding a cricket during replacement solves the uphill pooling at the same time.
Not every flashing metal suits brick. Copper is a long-lasting choice for counter flashing, while aluminum needs protection from contact with lime in the mortar. Ask which metal the roofer plans to use and why.
Related service
Chimney Leak Repair Dover, NJ
Chimney leak repair starts by finding out whether water comes through the flashing or through the chimney itself. Water that appears only in hard rain at the base points to flashing, while a slow leak that lingers after rain hints at soaked brick or a cracked crown. Testing the flashing and the masonry separately pins down the source.
Leaks through the chimney body need masonry work rather than flashing. 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. Those repairs are often done alongside new flashing so the whole leak is solved.
Local help
Chimney Flashing Repair Near Me
Chimney flashing calls in Dover come mostly from older brick chimneys that have been reflashed with tar more than once. Across Dover and nearby communities including Wharton, Rockaway, Mount Arlington and Morris Plains, the chimney type decides the fix: masonry needs counter flashing cut into the brick, and a framed chase needs step flashing behind the siding, so expect the roofer to ask which type is on your house.
For chimney flashing repair in Dover, NJ or nearby towns like Wharton, Rockaway, Mount Arlington and Morris Plains, call (862) 430-1002 to reach a roofer who covers your street.
What the local climate does to a roof
Winters here are long and cold, with snow on the roof for weeks at a time and plenty of nights below freezing. When warm attic air melts the snow, the meltwater runs down and freezes again at the 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. Most homeowners in Dover, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why act early
Less damage
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Roofers who know Dover
Roofers in Dover know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Know what happens next
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Chimney Flashing Repair FAQ
Why does my chimney need a cricket?
It is a little roof-like peak that sits behind the chimney. It splits the water and debris coming down the roof and sends them around the chimney instead of letting them pile up against the brick. Most residential codes call for one behind chimneys wider than about thirty inches.
What causes a chimney leak if the flashing is new?
A leak that continues after new flashing usually comes from the chimney itself. Open joints, spalling brick and a damaged crown all let water in above the flashing. Sometimes moisture inside the flue itself is to blame. Call (862) 430-1002 to reach a roofer.
Who fixes chimney flashing, a roofer or a mason?
The flashing belongs to the roof, so a roofer is the right call for it. 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. From the attic, stained rafters and decking around the brick confirm water is getting in. Outside, look for loose or rusted flashing and old sealant patches. Call (862) 430-1002 to reach a local roofer.
Is it possible to just reseal chimney flashing?
Minor problems such as a loose counter flashing piece can be refastened into the mortar. 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.
More questions? Call (862) 430-1002
Other services that may help
Flashing Repair
Fixing the metal flashing at walls, dormers, valleys and roof edges, so water runs onto the shingles instead of into the wall.
Learn moreRoof Leak Repair
Finding where water gets through the roof and sealing it at the source, with the damage underneath checked too.
Learn moreRoof Leak Detection
Pinpointing where water actually enters a roof, even when the stain is far away, before anyone tears into the wrong part of the roof.
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 a Dover roofer about chimney flashing repair
Call (862) 430-1002 for a local roofer in Dover and nearby towns.