Chimney Flashing Repair in Sherman Oaks, So Water Does Not Follow the Fire

Flashing is two layers of metal where the chimney passes through the roof. Step flashing is woven into the roofing; counter flashing is set into the chimney's mortar joints and laps over it. The joint works only as long as both sides stay put. After a chimney fire, heat through a cracked flue can dry and crack the sealant and the roofing next to the chimney, and burned debris thrown out of the top often lands right there. If the fire department worked the roof, foot traffic and water can lift the step flashing. A strong earthquake moves the chimney a little against the house, which tears sealant and pulls counter flashing out of its joints. Wildfire embers that land on a roof tend to collect in the corner on the uphill side of the chimney, where leaves and needles already gather. In each case the leak may not show up until the first heavy rain, weeks after the event, as a stain on the ceiling or a damp patch in the attic next to the chimney.

So after any of those events, we look at the flashing as part of the inspection, from the roof and from the attic. Water marks on the framing, a dark ring around the chimney in the attic, or rusted nails point at the joint. We photograph each spot so it sits in the same record as the fire or quake damage.

We find the source before we touch the flashing. A leak at the chimney can come from a cracked crown, a missing cap, porous brick or the flashing itself, and the fixes are very different. When the flashing is the cause, we cut a fresh reglet into the mortar for the counter flashing, replace bent or rusted step pieces, and seal the laps with a sealant made for roofs and masonry. A chimney wider than about 30 inches on the uphill side gets a cricket, a small peaked roof that turns water and debris around it, which also stops embers from piling there. Where the roofing itself burned or cracked, we coordinate with a roofer so the two jobs meet properly.

In Sherman Oaks, flashing work waits for a dry day and is usually done in one visit. Afterward we run water over the joint where safe to do so, or check it after the next storm, and add photos of the finished work to your file. If you are claiming fire or quake damage, the record shows the cause, the repair and the date in order.