chimney flashing problem - Ask The Chimney Sweep

Chimney Flashing Repair Firstly, where is the water entering? Here at my chimney repair and sweeping company, we treat every water problem as a process of elimination. Even the most trained chimney veterans can have difficulty pinpointing exactly where damaging water is entering your home. A chimney or roofing professional will often perform a water test This flashing was installed improperly, with no counter-flashing, and will surely leak. which you can actually perform yourself. Starting at the base of your chimney soak a few feet. Wait fifteen minutes to see if any water enters your home and then soak a portion of the chimney a little bit higher then a little bit higher until you can either pinpoint where water is entering on the chimney or rule out the water entering through the brick of the chimney. Is it the chimney flashing? Another very common point of entry for water is the chimney flashing. Chimney flashing seals the void between the roof and the chimney, but often times leaks. Over time, water erodes away the watertight finish that sealed the flashing or the flashing literally rusts away from the roof. Other problems can occur with the flashing that may cause leaks, and fixing it isn't impossible. You can absolutely save some money by performing the repair by yourself, you just need to be sure that you use quality products. ChimneySaver FlashSeal Flashing Repair is a great product to use. It is durable and, when used with the This flashing was repaired with FlashSeal and is now watertight. No water can enter the home. FlashSeal Reinforcement Fabric it comes with a seven year warranty. To repair your flashing with FlashSeal, you first need to clean the area of any dirt and debris to allow the product to work as efficiently as possible. After the clean area dries, apply a thin base coat of FlashSeal that covers the entire flashing area and extends a few inches above the flashing line. After this dries apply a layer of FlashSeal Reinforcement Fabric over the entire area and finish with a top coat of the FlashSeal product. You will need at least twelve hours of dry weather in order for this product to heal properly. I also recommend applying a layer of water repellent over your repair and over the entire chimney to further safeguard your repair and protect your home from future water damage.