Step flashing
Side flashing is woven in with new shingles lapped so water runs downhill.
Roof Repair
Chimney Flashing Repair Cliffside Park, NJ
A roofer in Cliffside Park 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, with a cricket behind wide chimneys to keep water from piling up. Dial (551) 378-0042 to talk with a local roofer about the chimney leak.
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. Any flashing that is rigidly glued to both the brick and the roof tends to crack loose within a few years.
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 is the piece that most often fails or is skipped, replaced by surface-mounted metal and a bead of caulk.
Not every leak around a chimney is a flashing leak. 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.
If the problem goes deeper than it first looked, a Cliffside Park roofer may also recommend flashing repair or roof leak repair.
Dealing with this in Cliffside Park, NJ right now? Call (551) 378-0042 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. A hose test on one side at a time can confirm the source.
Strip the old flashing
Shingles around the chimney are removed along with the old flashing, tar and caulk. Any decking that has gone soft from years of leaks is replaced.
Add step 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. Each step piece laps the one below it.
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
The roofer grinds a slot into a mortar joint, bends the counter flashing into it and seals it, so it laps down over the step flashing. The overlap allows movement while keeping water out.
What is included
What chimney flashing repair covers
Front flashing
A one-piece apron is installed across the downhill face lapped over the shingles below.
Rot repair
Water-damaged wood at the chimney is cut out before the new flashing goes in.
Chimney saddle
A saddle diverts water around the uphill side which stops one of the most common chimney leaks.
Counter flashing
New counter flashing is let into the brick instead of caulked to the face.
Related service
Chimney Flashing Replacement Cliffside Park, NJ
Replacing the flashing outright is the better choice when patches keep failing or the metal has corroded. 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.
Chimney flashing has to tolerate mortar and moisture for decades. Lime in mortar corrodes bare aluminum, so copper, coated steel or coated aluminum are common choices. Matching the metal to the masonry avoids early corrosion.
Related service
Chimney Leak Repair Cliffside Park, NJ
A chimney can leak at the roof line or from the top down, and the fix is different for each. A leak that keeps going after the rain ends often means water stored in the masonry is draining out. Testing the flashing and the masonry separately pins down the source.
If the masonry is the source, the fix may involve the crown, the cap or the brick. A cracked crown needs sealing or rebuilding, a missing cap lets rain straight down the flue, and porous brick can be treated with a breathable water repellent made for masonry. Those repairs are often done alongside new flashing so the whole leak is solved.
Local help
Chimney Flashing Repair Near Me
Around Cliffside Park, chimney leaks often date back to a reroof where the old chimney flashing was reused or covered in sealant. Homes in Cliffside Park and nearby towns like Edgewater, Fairview, Ridgefield and Palisades Park range from older houses with full masonry chimneys to newer ones with framed chases wrapped in siding, which are flashed more like a sidewall, which is why the roofer starts by looking at how the chimney is built.
Need chimney flashing repair around Cliffside Park? Call (551) 378-0042 for a Cliffside Park roofer who serves the towns around it too.
What the local climate does to a roof
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 Cliffside Park is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why fix it now
Drier ceilings
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Familiar with local homes
Roofers in Cliffside Park know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Straight answers
Ask the roofer about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Common questions about chimney flashing repair
Why is my chimney still leaking after new flashing?
A leak that continues after new flashing usually comes from the chimney itself. Rain soaks through porous brick or a cracked crown and runs down inside the chimney. Sometimes moisture inside the flue itself is to blame. Call (551) 378-0042 to have the source traced.
What are the signs of a chimney flashing leak?
Water marks beside the chimney inside the house are the usual first clue. Inside the attic, water trails on the brick or framing are another clue. From the yard, heavy tar around the base is a good hint that the flashing has been patched before. Call (551) 378-0042 to have a roofer check it.
Should a roofer or a mason repair my chimney flashing?
Chimney flashing is roofing work, since it ties into the shingles, underlayment and step flashing. Setting the counter flashing into the brick is routine for roofers who do this work. Problems with the chimney itself, like a cracked crown, call for a mason.
Can chimney flashing be repaired without replacing it?
A single loose section of counter flashing can be reset without replacing everything. Flashing that was installed wrong or has rusted through needs to be replaced, not resealed. More sealant over a failing system buys a little time at best.
Why does my chimney need a cricket?
It is a little roof-like peak that sits behind the chimney. It splits the water and debris coming down the roof and sends them around the chimney instead of letting them pile up against the brick. Wide chimneys need one under most building codes.
More questions? Call (551) 378-0042
Often needed together
Flashing Repair
Flashing repairs at the joints where most roof leaks start, so water runs onto the shingles instead of into the wall.
Learn moreRoof Leak Repair
Finding where water gets through the roof and sealing it at the source, so the stain on the ceiling stops growing.
Learn moreRoof Leak Detection
Tracing hidden roof leaks with attic checks, moisture meters, hose testing and infrared scans, with a clear answer on roof leak versus condensation.
Learn moreShingle Roof Repair
Spot repairs for wind, hail and age damage on an asphalt shingle roof, without tearing off the whole roof.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesGet chimney flashing repair help in Cliffside Park
Call (551) 378-0042 for a local roofer in Cliffside Park and nearby towns.