Look for our brightly-marked company vehicles as they travel on their way to provide chimney sweep services like chimney flashing repair, chimney crown rebuilding, and chimney cap installations in West Hartford, Manchester, Bolton, Colchester, Tolland, East Hampton, Chesire, Southington, and Glastonbury.
Leaky chimneys can present serious and costly problems for your home. The most common place we find leaks is at the location where the chimney meets the roof. In order to keep water from entering this vulnerable area, pieces of metal (known as chimney flashing) are installed to seal off the small opening where the chimney comes up through the roof. Loose, torn, or cracked chimney flashing can allow water to run down into the chimney system causing wood rot, mold, and drywall damage.
Worn out or missing chimney flashing can cause tremendous structural damage to your chimney and turn out to be a very expensive problem. If you notice any leaks around your chimney, call us immediately so we can perform an inspection and make the proper repairs. Many times when leaks begin you won’t even know it because the damage starts in areas that you don’t see. A trip to the attic to inspect the area surrounding the chimney as it enters the roof may be a good preventative measure.
How Does Chimney Flashing Work
The overlapping sections of metal that are custom-fabricated to fit around your chimney at the roof line are called “Chimney Flashing”. Flashing is installed in two layers and is fitted under the roof covering or shingles and then up along the wall of the chimney.
Urethane caulking is used to create the water-tight bond needed that protects against damage. Chimney Flashing can be made of aluminum, stainless steel, or copper which is the longest lasting material. These materials work to prevent water from entering your chimney system and causing serious damage. In order to deter water and moisture from seeping into the chimney opening and masonry work, correct installation is crucial.
When our Certified Chimney Sweeps perform an annual Chimney Inspection, the flashing is one of the areas examined closely. If the caulking is beginning to come loose or is developing gaps, it may need to be resealed to prevent further damage. When metal flashing is missing or corroding, new chimney flashing may be required.
To complete a chimney flashing job, exact measurements for the angels of your roof are taken, and custom fabricated metal flashing pieces are constructed. The metal pieces are all fabricated to wrap around the chimney and brought to the job ready for a quick installation. If you are planning a re-roofing or a new roof on your home, that may be the perfect time to take a close look at your chimney flashing and see if it needs repair or replacement.
Contact our chimney flashing professionals if you have any questions on the condition of your current flashing or to schedule chimney inspection or leaky chimney repair.
