Step flashing
Step pieces up both sides of the chimney are replaced nailed to the deck, not the brick.
Roof Repair
Chimney Flashing Repair Rutherford, NJ
A Rutherford 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. One call to (551) 380-1579 reaches a nearby roofer who handles chimney flashing.
A chimney is a large masonry box punched through the roof, and sealing around it takes several pieces of flashing working together. Masonry and wood framing expand, shrink and settle at different rates, which is why chimney flashing is built in two parts that can slide past each other. Any flashing that is rigidly glued to both the brick and the roof tends to crack loose within a few years.
Proper chimney flashing has four main parts. 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 is the piece that most often fails or is skipped, replaced by surface-mounted metal and a bead of caulk.
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.
Many chimney flashing repair calls in Rutherford also turn up a need for flashing repair or roof leak repair.
Need chimney flashing repair in Rutherford? Call (551) 380-1579 to talk to a local roofer.
Call nowThe process
What happens during chimney flashing repair
Here is how a roofer typically handles chimney flashing.
Inspect the chimney
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
The roofer removes the existing metal, layers of tar and the nearby shingles. Rotted sheathing next to the chimney is cut out and renewed.
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. The step flashing is nailed to the roof deck only, never to the brick.
Build a cricket
The upslope side gets a saddle or, for wide chimneys, a small peaked cricket that sheds water to both sides. Wide chimneys need a cricket under most residential codes.
Seal the top edge
Counter flashing is let into a ground-out mortar joint and sealed, overlapping the base flashing below. The overlap allows movement while keeping water out.
What is included
Chimney flashing parts
Apron flashing
The front of the chimney gets a new apron with counter flashing over it.
Chimney saddle
A cricket is framed behind wide chimneys so water cannot pond against the brick.
Cap flashing
Cap flashing is cut into the masonry instead of caulked to the face.
Rot repair
Soft sheathing next to the chimney is renewed before the new flashing goes in.
Related service
Chimney Flashing Replacement Rutherford, 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. Adding a cricket during replacement solves the uphill pooling at the same time.
Not every flashing metal suits brick. Copper and lead-coated copper last a very long time and form neatly to brick, galvanized steel is durable when painted, and aluminum should be coated or kept out of direct contact with mortar, which can corrode it. Ask which metal the roofer plans to use and why.
Related service
Chimney Leak Repair Rutherford, NJ
Leaks around a chimney have two main sources: the flashing at the roof and the masonry above it. 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. Hose testing each side and then the chimney top separately settles the question.
Leaks through the chimney body need masonry work rather than flashing. Typical fixes are crown repair, a new cap and repointing of open mortar joints, sometimes followed by a vapor-permeable masonry water repellent. The roofer can spot many of these from the roof and tell you who should fix them.
Local help
Chimney Flashing Repair Near Me
In Rutherford, many chimney flashing problems show up on homes with wide brick chimneys and no cricket behind them. From Rutherford out to neighboring towns such as East Rutherford, Wallington, Carlstadt and North Arlington, older brick chimneys tend to need counter flashing reset into worn mortar, while newer framed chases more often leak at the chase top or siding joint, so it helps to know which kind you have when you call.
For chimney flashing repair in Rutherford, NJ or nearby towns like East Rutherford, Wallington, Carlstadt and North Arlington, call (551) 380-1579 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 Rutherford is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why fix it now
Smaller repairs
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Local knowledge
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Rutherford and nearby towns.
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. It diverts runoff, leaves and snow to each side so they do not collect behind the chimney. Wide chimneys need one under most building codes.
Is it possible to just reseal chimney flashing?
Minor problems such as a loose counter flashing piece can be refastened into the mortar. When the metal is rusted, missing pieces or was never installed correctly, replacement is the lasting fix. More sealant over a failing system buys a little time at best.
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. If the crown, cap or brick is damaged, a mason handles that part.
What are the signs of a chimney flashing leak?
Stains on the ceiling or wall next to the chimney after rain are the most common sign. In the attic, wet or dark framing around the chimney opening points the same way. From the yard, heavy tar around the base is a good hint that the flashing has been patched before. A roofer reached at (551) 380-1579 can find the source.
Why is my chimney still leaking after new flashing?
When new flashing does not stop the leak, the masonry is the usual suspect. Rain soaks through porous brick or a cracked crown and runs down inside the chimney. Condensation in an unlined or oversized flue can also cause damp spots. A call to (551) 380-1579 is a good next step.
More questions? Call (551) 380-1579
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Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesGet chimney flashing repair help in Rutherford
Call (551) 380-1579 to talk to a roofer serving Rutherford, NJ.