Chimney flashing replaced and resealed in Harbour Island

Roof cement smeared over old flashing

Plenty of leaking chimneys have been patched with roofing cement or tar spread along the flashing edge. It can stop a drip for a while. Over time it hardens, cracks and traps water against the metal it covers, and each new layer hides the edges an inspection needs to see.

Our pros remove old patching where it hides the laps, so they can judge the metal underneath. Sometimes clean flashing is still sound and only needs resetting. Sometimes the cement was holding together metal that has rusted through. Either way, you get the finding and the price before any work starts.

Mortar joints that hold the counter flashing

Counter flashing is only as secure as the joint it is set into. Soft, sandy or missing mortar lets the metal loosen and water slip behind it, so those joints are repointed before new counter flashing goes in.

The National Park Service's repointing guidance asks for a mortar weaker and more breathable than the surrounding brick, so the joint gives before the brick does. Our pros choose a mortar that suits your chimney's brick when they rebuild the joints along the flashing line.

Flashing where a framed chase meets the roof

A framed chase is a wood-framed box with siding, and where it rises through a roof slope it meets the roof like a short wall. Its sides are flashed the way a sidewall is, with step flashing or a continuous L under the siding, as section R905.2.8.3 allows on shingle roofs.

Siding run tight onto the shingles, or trim nailed through the flashing, can let water into the framing. Our specialists check the chase walls, the trim and the flashing together and tell you if siding has to come off to reach the problem.

What your flashing estimate spells out

A flashing estimate should say more than replace flashing. Ours spells out the details below, along with any brick, deck or roof covering work that goes with them.

Prices are upfront, there are no hidden fees, and our workmanship warranty covers the flashing we install. Booking within 72 hours of the free inspection in Harbour Island also takes 10% off.

• Each side of the chimney and the piece planned for it
• The metal proposed and why it suits your roof
• How the counter flashing is attached to the masonry
• Lap direction and how every lap is sealed
• Who handles the roof covering side of the work