If you look up at your chimney and see thick white or gray sealant smeared along the brick, it is a sign someone has been patching the same leak over and over.
We saw exactly that on a roof in West Springfield this fall. The metal flashing behind the chimney was buried under layer after layer of sealant, spread across the brick, the metal and the shingles.
Why sealant doesn't last
Flashing is the metal that steers water away from the spot where your roof meets the chimney. It works because of how the pieces overlap, not because of glue. Sealant can stop a drip for a little while, but it dries out, cracks and pulls away from the brick. Then the leak comes back, and another layer goes on.
What we did
- Tore out the old flashing and the shingles around the chimney
- Framed a new cricket, a small peaked section behind the chimney that splits water to both sides
- Shingled over the cricket and tied it into the roof
- Installed new step flashing and counter flashing set into the mortar joints
The result is a chimney that sheds water the way it was designed to, without depending on sealant.
When to call us
If you see sealant around your chimney, stains on the ceiling near it, or water in the attic after a storm, give us a call. We will get on the roof, take photos and show you exactly what is going on.
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