Chimney flashing replacement for Riverside Acres homeowners

Nails driven through exposed flashing

Fasteners belong where the next layer covers them. Nails driven through the face of exposed flashing, a common shortcut in patch repairs, leave holes that depend entirely on a dab of sealant and often rust out around the head.

We look for exposed heads along the apron, the counter flashing and any patch metal. Where they appear, the lasting fix is usually new metal fastened in the covered zone rather than more sealant over each nail. The count and location of exposed fasteners go into our written notes.

What a written flashing estimate should list

A useful flashing estimate names the faces being repaired, the metal and its thickness, how the counter flashing is anchored, how much roofing is lifted and restored, and what happens to the old material. Vague wording such as reseal chimney leaves you nothing to compare.

Ours spell out each of the items below, so two quotes can be read side by side. Book within 72 hours after the inspection and the estimate shows 10% off, printed on the page.

• Chimney faces included in the repair
• Flashing metal and thickness
• Counter flashing method for your chimney face
• Roofing lifted, reset or replaced
• Removal of old flashing and patch material
• Findings that need a separate decision

Flashing on a chimney that serves no wood fire

Chimneys that vent a furnace or water heater, or that no longer serve any fireplace, still pass through the roof. Their flashing faces the same rain as any other chimney.

We inspect and repair flashing on these chimneys the same way. If the chimney is no longer used at all, we can talk about its future, but the flashing needs attention either way for as long as it stands. Chimneys that no longer serve anything are also candidates for removal below the roofline, a bigger decision we can talk through, though the flashing still has to hold until then.

Sealants age faster on a roof

Sun, heat and rain age a sealant on a roof far faster than the same product indoors. A bead that looks fine from the ground can be hard, cracked or pulled away from the masonry at arm's length.

We check every sealed joint up close during the inspection. Where sealant is part of a proper flashing detail, a fresh bead can be a simple maintenance item. Where it is doing work that metal should do, we recommend the flashing repair instead.