Leak somewhere around chimney, ? repair techniques?

[Bob]

what a problem.... we have a two flue brick chimney about 15ft by 4ft, 4 to 7 ft high, on a downward sloping shingled roof metal flashing is at base of chimney from brick into shingles Problem: heavy rains results in water drips at lower end of chimney coming through wood roof boards. So far I have had roofers reseal the metal flashing 3 different times.

The brick chimney has been rechinked (by me) several years ago in a nonprofessional way by stuffing cement into mortared spaces between bricks. Some of this has come out but I am not certain this ever fixed problem

Does anyone have suggestions on techniques or tradesmen to hire out and repair this problem? I have tried to find someone to rechink the chimney without luck

Any suggestions on techniques will be apreciated.

[Joseph Meehan]

Check the yellow pages for a chimney sweep. Ask them for the name of someone to do the work if they don't do it.

[John Willis]

On Sun, 29 Jan 2006 16:45:36 -0800, Bob scribbled this interesting note:

If the step flashings were not done correctly (those are the ones on the sides of the chimney) no amount of resealing will fix the problem for long, and may, in fact, make it worse.

Find someone who is a good roofer. That is the first step to getting this problem fixed. A good roofer will, most likely, tell you the shingles around the chimney need to be taken up, and new step flashings installed. Done correctly, this will last longer than your roof will. Done incorrectly (as it is now), this will cause nothing be problems.

Good luck!

-- John Willis [e-mail] (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

[BP]

I agree. There is no worse solution, or evidence of a roofer-hack, than the can of roofing cement. Keep in mind: the step flashings go under each course of the roof shingles, bent up to lay against the chimney brick. These divert roof water from the chimney opening. The lead flashing that is pointed into the brick on the chimney is lapped logically to shed water downhill and is folded over the step flashings. These divert water from the chimney onto the roof. The tricky part is the corners. Takes a little experience, a little talent to get that right. Get it wrong, get a leak.

2 flashing systems. No tar. No caulking.

[RicodJour]

Right on, bro! Interesting name for a roofing company: No Tar No Caulk No Leak Roofing I'd hire 'em.

R