Repair of the flashing, counterflashing and cap around a chimney, where leaks usually start on mill houses and farmhouses in Lawndale and Cleveland County.
Fastest: call (833) 751-2102. Or send this and we call you back.
Chimney flashing repair fixes or replaces the base flashing, counterflashing and cap where a chimney passes through the roof, and re-seals the joint so water runs off the roof instead of into the masonry. On mill houses and farmhouses built around a chimney, this flashing often fails long before the shingles do. A technician checks the joint and the masonry above the roofline.
A chimney is one of the places a roof is most likely to leak, and the reason is not the chimney itself. The joint where the masonry meets the roof has to shed water from both the roof and the brick, and it has to tolerate small movements as the house and the chimney settle and as temperatures swing. The flashing around the chimney does that work. When it fails, water runs down the outside of the brick and into the attic and the wall beside it.
Many older houses in Lawndale and the county were built around a central chimney or a stove flue, and several have been re-roofed over the years. Old flashing can be left in place under a newer roof, and the patches of earlier repairs can still be there. Where that is the case, the new metal sits over an old layer that no longer seals, and the leak returns at the same spot.
A chimney repair is a short job when the chimney is sound and only the flashing has failed. The technician checks the masonry, the cap and the joint, and explains whether the work is flashing alone or includes brick. Call (833) 751-2102; the line is answered around the clock. A visit depends on who is free, and no arrival time is promised.
Do not walk the roof around a chimney if it is steep, wet or icy, and never stand on a chimney or its cap. Do not lean a ladder against the masonry, since that can crack the brick. Keep out of the fireplace and the flue while a crew works on the chimney. If you smell smoke or see soot, or stains running down the brick, leave that room and call for help.
The base flashing sits under the shingles on the uphill side of the chimney and over them on the downhill side, so water runs out over the roof. A failed base lets water run behind the chimney and into the framing. The repair replaces the base and resets the shingles around it.
Counterflashing is set into the brick joint above the base and covers the base flashing beneath it. When the mortar cracks or the counterflashing pulls out, water runs behind the metal. The repair resets or replaces the counterflashing, and any mortar that needs repointing is noted for a masonry repair.
A cracked crown or a missing cap lets rain soak into the flue and the brick. Caps are replaced when they are cracked or missing, and cracked crowns are noted for masonry work. The cap is a separate item on the estimate and is handled as one.
An unused chimney can still leak, and its top may be open to the weather. A cap over the flue keeps rain out of the masonry. Whether the flue should be closed or sealed is a decision for a qualified chimney professional, not a roofing crew, and the technician will say so.
Most chimney flashing and repair calls are scheduled the same day when a technician is free, and you approve the price before any work starts.
New shingles do not fix a failed flashing joint. Water that gets behind the metal runs down the masonry and into the house without ever touching the new shingles.
A roof can be re-covered from end to end and still leak at the chimney if the base or counterflashing is left in poor condition. The water comes in at the joint, and the new shingles sit above it dry.
This is why the flashing is checked before any re-roof and why a chimney leak is treated as a joint problem first, not a shingle problem.
Sealant can hold a small gap for a while, but it dries, cracks and pulls away in heat and rain. It is not a repair for failed counterflashing.
A bead of sealant can look tidy from the ground and still leave water running behind the metal. The technician checks for this when the joint is opened up, since sealant over a failed piece hides the problem.
Where a temporary seal is the sensible step, the estimate says so and says when the joint should be revisited. Ask the crew to state the plan plainly.
The height of the chimney, how much flashing and masonry is involved, the roof's pitch, and the access to the roofline all move the price. The price is explained and approved before work starts.
A chimney that stands low on a simple roof is a shorter job than a tall chimney on a steep, complex roof. Damaged masonry that needs repointing or a rebuilt crown adds separate work and separate time.
Access on a rural lot can matter, since the ladder and the materials have to reach the eave. No figure is given here. The on-site inspection and the written estimate are the only real numbers for your house.
Working on a chimney from a steep roof is a fall hazard, and loose masonry can fall. Cracked or loose brick should be assessed by someone who can work from a safe position.
A ladder leaned against the masonry can crack the chimney, and a crew that has to lean over the chimney top can lose its footing. Those are good reasons to leave the chimney work to people who set up for it.
Stay clear of the area below the chimney while work is done, since loose mortar and brick can come down.
It depends on your policy and the cause of the damage, and your insurer decides. Photograph the chimney, the flashing and any staining inside before anything is changed.
The N.C. Department of Justice advises contacting your insurance company early, since some insurers need an adjuster to approve work before it begins. A written estimate before committing is also part of that advice.
The insurance claims guide describes the order of steps after a storm, and it is worth reading before the first call.
The technician looks at the chimney from the roof and the ground, checking the mortar joints, the crown and the cap for cracks, gaps and flaking. Masonry problems are noted separately from the flashing so that the estimate is clear about what is and is not included.
Each piece of metal is checked for rust, holes, bent edges and gaps. The counterflashing set into the mortar joint is checked for pull-away, since that joint is where water most often gets behind the metal.
The old metal is removed carefully, and the mortar joint is cleaned so that new counterflashing can be set. The shingles around the base are lifted without being broken, which keeps the surrounding roof sound.
New base flashing is set under the shingles on the uphill side and over them on the downhill side, so water runs out across the roof. Counterflashing is set into the masonry joint above the base, and sealant is used only where the design calls for it.
The attic is checked for water staining on the framing and around the chimney chase. The technician explains what was replaced, what is still sound, and what should be watched at the next season's check.
Lawndale's mill houses were built in a short run of years, and many farmhouses in the county were built around a central chimney or a flue. Where a chimney is old, its flashing has often been resealed or patched more than once, and older metal can still be under the newer.
Caroleen, Henrietta and Cliffside are mill villages on the Second Broad River whose houses were built by one company in one period. A chimney that failed on one house can have failed on its neighbors too, so it is worth looking at the whole street rather than a single roof.
Permits and inspections for chimney masonry and roof work go to the county building inspections office for unincorporated addresses, or to the town office for an address inside town limits. Ask the right office before the work starts, since the answer depends on the address.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Repair of valley, wall, vent and step flashing, where leaks usually start on older houses with porches and additions in Lawndale and Cleveland County.
Finding and sealing the entry point of a roof leak, from worn flashing and valleys to nail holes, in Lawndale and the county.
A written look at a roof's condition after a hail or wind warning, or before buying an older house or farm building.
Repair for roof edges, gutters and shingles damaged by freezing rain, ice-loaded limbs and meltwater backing up at the eaves in Lawndale.
It depends on your policy and the cause of the damage. Photograph the chimney, the flashing and any staining inside. Some insurers need an adjuster to approve work before it begins, so contact your insurer before the repair is scheduled.
Water running down the chimney can soak the framing and insulation beside it, and that leaves a damp smell long after the rain stops. The source is often the joint at the roofline. A technician traces the water to find the entry point.
Not usually for flashing alone. Masonry that is cracked or leaning needs its own assessment, and a roofing crew can say when the brick is beyond a roof repair. Ask the technician to note any masonry concerns on the estimate.
Yes. A cap keeps rain out of the flue and the brick above the roof. The cap is a separate item from the flashing and is listed on the written estimate, so you can see its cost apart from the rest of the work.
No lifespan is given here. Remaining life is judged on the roof itself, from the state of the metal, the sealant and the joint, and from how the chimney has weathered. The technician will say what was found.
Yes, if the chimney still stands above the roof. Water can still get in at the base and through the masonry. Whether to close the flue is a decision for a qualified chimney professional, and a cap is a separate item that can be added.
Not always. Flashing repair often works on the existing roof, but if the shingles around the chimney are brittle or many are damaged, the crew will say so. The written estimate shows what the roof needs.