Cricket installation
A cricket is framed behind wide chimneys and covered with metal or membrane and shingles.
Roof Repair
Chimney Flashing Repair Cranford, NJ
A roofer in Cranford can stop most chimney leaks by replacing the flashing where the chimney meets the roof: step flashing along the sides, counter flashing cut into the mortar, an apron at the front and a back pan or cricket behind, and check whether the crown or brick is part of the problem. One call to (908) 562-6887 reaches a nearby roofer who handles chimney flashing.
Few places on a roof leak as often as the gap around a chimney. 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. Tar and caulk alone cannot handle that movement for long.
Each side of a chimney gets its own kind of flashing. 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 that is only caulked onto the brick face is one of the most common causes of chimney leaks.
Before replacing flashing, it helps to know whether the chimney above the roof is letting water in. Leaks that continue after new flashing often trace back to the crown, the cap or the brick itself. Sorting out which one is leaking avoids paying for the wrong repair.
Many chimney flashing repair calls in Cranford also turn up a need for flashing repair or roof leak repair.
Dealing with this in Cranford, NJ right now? Call (908) 562-6887 to reach a nearby roofing contractor.
Call nowThe process
The chimney flashing process
Here is how a roofer typically handles chimney flashing.
Check the joint
Before anything comes off, the roofer checks the flashing, the brick, the crown and the wood around the chimney. That separates true flashing leaks from water coming through the chimney itself.
Strip the old flashing
The roofer removes the existing metal, layers of tar and the nearby shingles. Any decking that has gone soft from years of leaks is replaced.
Set the apron
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.
Handle the back side
Behind the chimney, a metal back pan or a framed cricket keeps water and debris from piling up. Wide chimneys need a cricket under most residential codes.
Set counter flashing
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
Front flashing
A one-piece apron is installed across the downhill face to shed water onto the roof.
Side flashing
Step pieces up both sides of the chimney are replaced one piece per course.
Decking repair
Water-damaged wood at the chimney is cut out while the area is open.
Counter flashing
New counter flashing is let into the brick and sealed at the joint.
Related service
Chimney Flashing Replacement Cranford, NJ
Replacing the flashing outright is the better choice when patches keep failing or the metal has corroded. When the basic design is wrong, repairs only delay the next leak. 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. Matching the metal to the masonry avoids early corrosion.
Related service
Chimney Leak Repair Cranford, NJ
Chimney leak repair starts by finding out whether water comes through the flashing or through the chimney itself. A leak that keeps going after the rain ends often means water stored in the masonry is draining out. Hose testing each side and then the chimney top separately settles the question.
If the masonry is the source, the fix may involve the crown, the cap or the brick. 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
Around Cranford, chimney leaks often date back to a reroof where the old chimney flashing was reused or covered in sealant. From Cranford out to neighboring towns such as Garwood, Westfield, Kenilworth and Roselle Park, 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, which is why the roofer starts by looking at how the chimney is built.
Need chimney flashing repair around Cranford? Call (908) 562-6887 for a Cranford roofer who serves the towns around it too.
How the weather here affects roofs around Cranford
Winters here are long and cold, with snow on the roof for weeks at a time and plenty of nights below freezing. Heat escaping from the attic melts snow on the upper roof, and the water refreezes at the colder eaves, building ice dams that push water up under the shingles. Strong coastal storms push rain into every weak spot at the flashing and valleys. Most homeowners in Cranford, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why act early
Less damage
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Roofers who know Cranford
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Cranford 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
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. From the attic, stained rafters and decking around the brick confirm water is getting in. On the roof, rusted metal, loose counter flashing and heavy tar are warning signs. A roofer reached at (908) 562-6887 can find the source.
What causes a chimney leak if the flashing is new?
Water can still get in through the top or sides of the chimney. Open joints, spalling brick and a damaged crown all let water in above the flashing. In some cases, condensation inside the flue is the cause. Call (908) 562-6887 to have the source traced.
What is a chimney cricket?
A cricket is a small ridge framed on the upslope side of a chimney. Water flowing down the slope hits the cricket and is steered around both sides. Most residential codes call for one behind chimneys wider than about thirty inches.
Can chimney flashing be repaired without replacing it?
A single loose section of counter flashing can be reset without replacing everything. When the metal is rusted, missing pieces or was never installed correctly, replacement is the lasting fix. Adding more tar on top only delays the next leak.
Who fixes chimney flashing, a roofer or a mason?
A roofer handles the flashing, because it has to be woven into the roof. Cutting the counter flashing into the mortar joint is part of that job. Damage to the crown, brick or mortar beyond that is masonry work.
More questions? Call (908) 562-6887
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