Cricket installation
A cricket is framed behind wide chimneys and covered with metal or membrane and shingles.
Roof Repair
Chimney Flashing Repair Wyckoff, NJ
A roofer in Wyckoff 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, so the leak does not come back next season. Dial (551) 348-7007 to talk with a local roofer about the chimney leak.
A chimney is a large masonry box punched through the roof, and sealing around it takes several pieces of flashing working together. Because the chimney and the roof are separate structures, the flashing has to bridge a joint that never stops moving. Tar and caulk alone cannot handle that movement for long.
A correctly flashed chimney uses a system, not a single piece. 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. The counter flashing is where shortcuts usually show up: instead of being cut into the mortar, it is glued to the face of the brick.
Water near a chimney can also come through the chimney itself. A cracked crown, a missing cap, porous brick or failed mortar joints can soak the masonry, and the water then runs down inside the chimney and shows up exactly where a flashing leak would. A careful look covers both the flashing and the visible masonry above it.
Depending on what the roofer finds, chimney flashing repair in Wyckoff, NJ can go hand in hand with flashing repair and roof leak repair.
Looking for Wyckoff chimney flashing repair? Call (551) 348-7007 to reach a nearby roofing contractor.
Call nowThe process
The chimney flashing process
Here is how a roofer typically handles chimney flashing.
Inspect the chimney
The roofer looks at the flashing on all four sides, the mortar joints, the crown and cap and the attic framing around the chimney. That separates true flashing leaks from water coming through the chimney itself.
Strip the old flashing
Old flashing and sealant come off, and the shingles next to the brick are lifted or removed. Rotted sheathing next to the chimney is cut out and renewed.
Install the base flashing
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.
Build a cricket
On the uphill side, a back pan or saddle is fitted, and on wider chimneys a cricket is framed to split the water around it. Without one, a wide chimney acts like a dam.
Cut in the counter flashing
A groove is cut into the mortar, and the counter flashing is set into it, either in one piece or stepped to follow the slope. Set into the brick, it lasts far longer than metal glued to the face.
What is included
Parts of a chimney flashing job
Counter flashing
Cap flashing is cut into the masonry and sealed at the joint.
Side flashing
Each side gets new step flashing one piece per course.
Front flashing
The base flashing on the front is renewed lapped over the shingles below.
Decking repair
Soft sheathing next to the chimney is renewed while the area is open.
Related service
Chimney Flashing Replacement Wyckoff, NJ
Full replacement of chimney flashing is the answer when the existing pieces are rusted, missing or held on by caulk. Patching a system that was installed wrong rarely works, because the problem is in how the pieces overlap. Replacement is also the natural time to add a cricket if the chimney lacks one.
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. The roofer can explain the options that suit your chimney.
Related service
Chimney Leak Repair Wyckoff, 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. A careful water test, one side at a time, can tell the two apart.
When water comes through the chimney, the repair moves up above the roof. 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 Wyckoff, chimney leaks often date back to a reroof where the old chimney flashing was reused or covered in sealant. Across Wyckoff and nearby communities including Midland Park, Franklin Lakes, Waldwick and Hawthorne, the chimney type decides the fix: masonry needs counter flashing cut into the brick, and a framed chase needs step flashing behind the siding, so it helps to know which kind you have when you call.
Need chimney flashing repair around Wyckoff? Call (551) 348-7007 for a Wyckoff roofer who serves the towns around it too.
Roofs in this climate
Cold winters bring snow, ice and a long stretch of freezing nights. 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. Coastal storms and heavy spring rain drive water sideways into flashing, valleys and old chimneys. That is why roof repair in Wyckoff is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why not wait
Less damage
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Familiar with local homes
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Wyckoff and nearby towns.
Straight answers
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?
Look for damp spots near the chimney after rain, both in the house and in the attic. 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. Call (551) 348-7007 to reach a local roofer.
Why does my chimney need a cricket?
It is a little roof-like peak that sits behind the chimney. It diverts runoff, leaves and snow to each side so they do not collect behind the chimney. Most residential codes call for one behind chimneys wider than about thirty inches.
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.
Is it possible to just reseal chimney flashing?
Minor problems such as a loose counter flashing piece can be refastened into the mortar. 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.
What causes a chimney leak if the flashing is new?
When new flashing does not stop the leak, the masonry is the usual suspect. A cracked crown, a missing cap, open mortar joints or porous brick can let water travel down inside the masonry to the roof line. In some cases, condensation inside the flue is the cause. Call (551) 348-7007 to have the source traced.
More questions? Call (551) 348-7007
Often needed together
Flashing Repair
Fixing the metal flashing at walls, dormers, valleys and roof edges, before hidden rot spreads into walls and decking.
Learn moreRoof Leak Repair
Leak repairs that fix the entry point, not just the ceiling stain, before wet decking and insulation turn into rot.
Learn moreRoof Leak Detection
Tracing hidden roof leaks with attic checks, moisture meters, hose testing and infrared scans, before anyone tears into the wrong part of the roof.
Learn moreShingle Roof Repair
Spot repairs for wind, hail and age damage on an asphalt shingle roof, before a small gap turns into a leak.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesTalk to a Wyckoff roofer about chimney flashing repair
Call (551) 348-7007 to talk to a roofer serving Wyckoff, NJ.