Front flashing
The apron across the downhill face is replaced or resealed with the counter flashing lapped over it.
Masonry Repair
Chimney Flashing Repair Millstadt, IL
A Millstadt chimney technician can reset loose flashing, replace rusted pieces and add a cricket where water piles up behind the chimney, with step and counter flashing instead of caulk. Dial (618) 476-0260 to talk with a local chimney sweep about the flashing.
Flashing is the layered metal seal around the base of a chimney, and it is behind more chimney leaks than any other part. A chimney and a roof never move together perfectly, so the flashing is made of separate overlapping pieces rather than one solid seal. Over time, sealant dries out, nails back out, metal rusts and the counter flashing pulls out of the mortar joints.
Proper flashing has a few distinct parts. Step flashing is a series of L-shaped pieces woven in with each course of shingles along the sides of the chimney, and counter flashing covers the top edge of the step flashing and is set into a groove cut in the mortar joints. A front apron covers the downhill face, and on the uphill face a cricket or saddle diverts water and snow around the chimney.
When you call about a flashing leak in Millstadt, a few details help. Note whether the stain is on the uphill or downhill side of the chimney, whether it leaks in every rain or only in heavy storms, and when the roof was last replaced. If you can see black tar smeared around the chimney, say so, because that usually means earlier patches have already failed.
Chimney Flashing Repair is often paired with chimney leak repair and chimney waterproofing, depending on the cause.
Dealing with this in Millstadt, IL right now? Call (618) 476-0260 to reach a nearby chimney sweep.
Call nowThe process
The flashing repair process
The goal is a joint that sheds water without relying on sealant.
Check the flashing
The technician checks the apron, step flashing, counter flashing and back pan or cricket, plus the shingles around the chimney. Where possible, the attic is checked for wet or damaged decking.
Test for leaks
A water test may be used to confirm the flashing is really the problem. That keeps you from paying for new flashing when the leak is somewhere else.
Remove old patches
Old tar, caulk and loose or rusted metal are removed, and the shingles around the chimney are lifted where needed. Soft or rotted sheathing under the old flashing is repaired first.
Side flashing
New step flashing is installed piece by piece along the sides, interwoven with each course of shingles. A front apron and a waterproof underlayment complete the lower layers.
Cut a reglet
Counter flashing is let into a cut in the mortar joint and lapped over the step flashing so water cannot get behind it. Surface-mounted flashing held on by caulk alone is avoided because it fails quickly.
Build a saddle
Where water pools behind the chimney, a cricket, also called a saddle, is built to shed it. It solves the most common cause of leaks on the uphill face.
What is included
Types of flashing repair
Counter flashing
Loose counter flashing is replaced and set into the masonry instead of being held on with caulk.
Step flashing
Loose step flashing is reset or renewed with every piece lapped correctly.
Chimney saddles
A cricket is added behind a wide chimney or one where water pools so debris and ice stop collecting there.
Tar patch removal
Layers of roofing cement and caulk from earlier patch jobs are removed before new metal goes on.
Related service
Chimney Flashing Replacement Millstadt, IL
Chimney flashing replacement makes sense when the metal is rusted through, the counter flashing has pulled out of the mortar or the flashing has been patched so many times that nothing sound is left. The old metal comes off completely, and new step flashing, counter flashing, apron and cricket are installed as a system. A common shortcut is to reuse the old flashing during a reroof, and that often leads to a leak within a few years.
For Millstadt homeowners planning a new roof, it is worth asking that the chimney flashing be replaced at the same time. Plan it so the masonry side of the job, cutting the reglet and setting counter flashing, happens while the shingles are going on. While everything is exposed, a quick look at the crown, cap and upper mortar joints can save a second trip onto the roof.
Local help
Chimney Flashing Repair Near Me
Around Millstadt, many chimney leaks trace back to flashing that was patched with tar instead of replaced. From Millstadt out to neighboring communities such as Smithton, Belleville, Columbia and Dupo, freeze-thaw and summer heat both work on the joint between the chimney and the roof, and fixing it before the decking rots keeps the repair small.
Need chimney flashing repair around Millstadt? Call (618) 476-0260 for a Millstadt chimney sweep who serves the towns around it too.
What the local climate does to a chimney
This part of the country gets long winters, heavy snow in places and stretches of bitter cold. Furnaces, wood stoves and fireplaces run hard from fall to spring, so flues collect creosote fast and liners and crowns see a lot of heat and cold. Snow that piles up behind a chimney and melts slowly is a common source of leaks at the flashing. Most chimney cleaning in Millstadt, IL happens right before the first snow.
Why call
Why fix it now
Smaller repairs
Small chimney problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Sweeps who know Millstadt
Local sweeps see the same chimney types and weather wear across Millstadt and nearby towns.
Clear next steps
Ask the sweep about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Common questions about chimney flashing repair
Should chimney flashing be replaced with a new roof?
Doing it with the new roof is the smart move in most cases. Step flashing is woven in with the shingles, so the roof has to be open to replace it properly anyway. Old flashing reused under a new roof often leaks within a few years.
Why does my chimney flashing keep leaking after it was sealed?
Caulk and roofing tar only seal the surface, and they crack and pull loose as the chimney and roof expand and contract. If the step or counter flashing is missing, rusted or installed wrong, no amount of sealant will fix it. It is also possible the water is entering higher up, at the crown or through the brick, and only showing at the flashing.
Why would my chimney need a cricket?
A cricket is a little ridge framed behind the chimney so water flows around it instead of pooling against it. On a wide chimney, the back side becomes a dam where water and debris sit and eventually leak through. Common building codes call for a cricket on chimneys wider than about thirty inches, unless the chimney sits at the ridge.
What are the signs of bad chimney flashing?
Look for stains near the chimney inside, damp or rotted framing in the attic and flashing that is lifted, rusted or covered in tar outside. A leak in the firebox is more likely the cap or crown, while a leak along the ceiling beside the chimney is more often the flashing. A controlled water test settles it.
Can chimney flashing be repaired, or does it need replacing?
What the metal looks like decides that. If the flashing is in good shape but the counter flashing has pulled out of the mortar, it can often be reset and resealed. If it is rusted through, badly bent or buried under old tar, replacement is the better value.
More questions? Call (618) 476-0260
Often needed together
Chimney Leak Repair
Finding and stopping water that gets in through the crown, cap, flashing or brick, before the water rots framing or ruins the flue.
Learn moreChimney Waterproofing
Treating chimney brick and mortar with a breathable water repellent, applied after repairs so the brick sheds water but can still dry out.
Learn moreChimney Crown Repair
Sealing cracked chimney crowns or rebuilding crumbling ones, so water stops soaking into the masonry from the top.
Learn moreChimney Repair
Repairs for the masonry, crown, flashing and flue of a damaged chimney, before small damage turns into a rebuild.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all chimney servicesNeed chimney flashing repair in Millstadt, IL?
Call (618) 476-0260 for a local chimney sweep in Millstadt and nearby towns.
(618) 476-0260
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