Front flashing
The apron across the downhill face is replaced or resealed where water from the chimney face drains off.
Masonry Repair
Chimney Flashing Repair Bryn Mawr, PA
A Bryn Mawr chimney technician can reset loose flashing, replace rusted pieces and add a cricket where water piles up behind the chimney, so the joint sheds water the way it was designed to. Call (484) 380-7228 to reach a local chimney sweep.
The joint where a chimney passes through the roof is one of the most leak-prone spots on any house, and flashing is what keeps it dry. Because masonry and roof framing expand, contract and settle at different rates, a rigid seal will crack, which is why flashing is built in overlapping layers. Eventually caulk cracks, fasteners loosen, steel rusts and the top edge of the flashing separates from the brick.
Proper flashing has a few distinct parts. Step flashing interlocks with the shingles on each side, and counter flashing is tucked into a cut in the mortar and folded down over it. The low side gets an apron, and the high side gets a back pan or, on wider chimneys, a cricket that splits the water around the chimney.
A Bryn Mawr chimney sweep will want to know a few things about the leak. 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.
Looking for Bryn Mawr chimney flashing repair? Call (484) 380-7228 to talk to a local chimney sweep.
Call nowThe process
How chimney flashing repair works
Here is how a chimney technician typically handles a flashing repair.
Look at every side
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.
Confirm the source
Flashing leaks can be confused with crown, cap or brick leaks, so other sources are ruled out. That keeps you from paying for new flashing when the leak is somewhere else.
Strip failed material
Old tar, caulk and loose or rusted metal are removed, and the shingles around the chimney are lifted where needed. Damaged roof deck is fixed while it is exposed.
Install step flashing
New step flashing is installed piece by piece along the sides, interwoven with each course of shingles. The front apron and a self-adhering membrane around the chimney add a second line of defense.
Seal into the mortar
Counter flashing is let into a cut in the mortar joint and lapped over the step flashing so water cannot get behind it. The metal is chosen to last, with copper or coated steel used where the flashing meets mortar.
Divert uphill water
Where water pools behind the chimney, a cricket, also called a saddle, is built to shed it. It keeps debris and ice from building up behind the chimney.
What is included
What flashing repair covers
Chimney saddles
Missing or failed crickets are built or rebuilt and flashed so debris and ice stop collecting there.
Step flashing
Side flashing is rebuilt piece by piece with the shingles to stop leaks along the sides of the chimney.
Fixing old patches
Old sealant repairs are cleaned off so the repair does not depend on sealant.
Counter flashing
The top layer of flashing is renewed and properly let into the mortar joints instead of being held on with caulk.
Related service
Chimney Flashing Replacement Bryn Mawr, PA
Full replacement is the better choice when flashing is corroded, loose along much of its length or buried under layers of failed tar. Replacement means removing everything down to the roof deck and installing new step flashing, counter flashing, an apron and, where needed, a cricket. A common shortcut is to reuse the old flashing during a reroof, and that often leads to a leak within a few years.
If you are replacing the roof on a Bryn Mawr home, that is the ideal time to replace the chimney flashing too. Coordinate the chimney sweep and the roofer so the step flashing goes in with the shingles and the counter flashing is set into the brick. It is also a good time to have the crown and mortar checked, since the roof around the chimney is already open.
Local help
Chimney Flashing Repair Near Me
In Bryn Mawr, flashing tends to fail first on older roofs and on chimneys that sit below a long run of roof. From Bryn Mawr out to neighboring communities such as Rosemont, Ardmore, Villanova and Narberth, freeze-thaw and summer heat both work on the joint between the chimney and the roof, so proper step and counter flashing, and a cricket where needed, is worth doing right once.
For chimney flashing repair in Bryn Mawr, PA or nearby towns like Rosemont, Ardmore, Villanova and Narberth, call (484) 380-7228 to reach a chimney sweep who covers your street.
How the weather here affects chimneys around Bryn Mawr
Winters here are long and cold, and the heating season usually runs from October well into April. Masonry takes the worst of it from the freeze and thaw cycle: rain and melting snow soak into the crown and joints, then freeze and push them apart, and each winter widens the cracks a little more. Nor'easters drive rain sideways into flashing and mortar that looked fine in summer. That is why chimney cleaning in Bryn Mawr is usually booked in the fall, before the first cold night.
Why call
Why not wait
Safer fires
A chimney problem fixed early rarely spreads to the masonry, the liner or the house.
Familiar with local homes
Local sweeps see the same chimney types and weather wear across Bryn Mawr and nearby towns.
Clear next steps
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Common questions about chimney flashing repair
Why does my chimney flashing keep leaking after it was sealed?
Surface sealant cannot keep up with the movement between masonry and roof framing, so it fails. When the flashing itself is the problem, sealant just hides it for a season. Sometimes the source is the masonry or crown above, not the flashing at all.
What are the signs of bad chimney flashing?
The most common sign is a water stain on the ceiling or wall right next to the chimney, or wet wood beside the chimney in the attic. Where the water appears is a clue: the firebox suggests the top of the chimney, and the ceiling beside it suggests flashing. A controlled water test settles it.
Should I repair or replace my chimney flashing?
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.
Should chimney flashing be replaced with a new roof?
The roof replacement is the best time to do it. 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.
What is a chimney cricket?
A cricket, also called a saddle, is a small peaked structure built on the uphill side of a chimney to split water and snow around it. Wide chimneys block a lot of runoff, and without a cricket that water sits against the flashing. For wider chimneys that do not sit on the ridge, a cricket is usually required by code.
More questions? Call (484) 380-7228
Other services that may help
Chimney Leak Repair
Tracing chimney leaks to the real entry point and sealing it, before the water rots framing or ruins the flue.
Learn moreChimney Waterproofing
Waterproofing masonry chimneys with vapor-permeable repellents, not paint, to slow freeze-thaw damage and spalling.
Learn moreChimney Crown Repair
Repairing the concrete slab that caps the top of the chimney, with a proper overhang and drip edge.
Learn moreChimney Repair
Repairs for the masonry, crown, flashing and flue of a damaged chimney, so the chimney stays dry and safe to use.
Learn more
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Call (484) 380-7228 to talk to a chimney sweep serving Bryn Mawr, PA.
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