When Flashing Fails

While it’s not something you likely think about on a regular basis, flashing on your roof plays a critical role in keeping your home dry and safe.

In fact, too often homeowners with leaking flashing can also expect to replace rotten wood, repair damaged walls and ceilings, fix attic damage and more.

Around chimneys, flashing is the material that fills the slight gaps, essentially, between the roof and the chimney. Most chimney flashing includes a two-part system that includes an L-shaped material that adjoins to the roof and the chimney, and the counter flashing that covers the piece of flashing material on the chimney. The counter flashing should contain a 90-degree bend at the top that is embedded between layers of brick in the chimney, but is instead often coated with caulking or asphalt roofing compound. Both caulk and roofing compound are temporary at best.

There are several reasons why flashing fails, but primarily due to weather and freeze-thaw cycles that weaken and deteriorate the compound that adheres the flashing to the chimney or roofing.

And while many people think it’s their roof that is leaking, most of the time it’s caused by failed flashing.

If you think your flashing has failed on your chimney, hiring a chimney repair company like ChimneyTEK to adequately fix the flashing and inspect your chimney is your best option. Prolonging repair of your flashing will likely make the leak bigger, increasing the chance of damage.

A professional chimney repair company like ChimneyTEK has the knowledge and skill to assess the flashing around your chimney, fix it and make it leak-free.
In addition to inspecting your chimney and its flashing, ChimneyTEK offers chimney cleaning services, chimney inspections and chimney repair in the Baltimore, Pasadena, Timonium, Annapolis and Towson areas.

For more information about flashing or to schedule an appointment if you think yours is leaking, contact us today.