Chimney Flashing

Here are a couple of photos from a recent chimney flashing installation, and yes, that's Jose doing what he does best.

Chimneys are notorious for leaking, and the culprit is almost always the sheet metal flashing that seals the gap between the chimney and the roof surface. It's not the chimney itself, and it's not usually the shingles. It's the flashing. Any roofer will tell you the same thing

Chimney flashing works by creating a watertight seal at one of the most vulnerable points on any roof. Where two different materials meet, in this case masonry and roofing, water will always find a way in if that transition isn't sealed correctly. Flashing directs water away from that joint and down the roof where it belongs.

At New Look Roof we recommend installing new chimney flashing any time the existing flashing is missing, rusted through, pulling away from the chimney, or buried under layers of roofing tar. That last one is especially important. Tar is a short-term patch that almost always signals a bigger underlying problem. It degrades quickly, traps moisture, and typically makes the eventual repair more involved than it needed to be.

It's also smart to replace the flashing whenever you're putting on a new roof. Your new shingles are designed to last 25 to 40 years, and if the flashing underneath is already ten years old and starting to deteriorate, it becomes the weak link in an otherwise solid roof. Replacing them together means everything ages at the same rate and you're not tearing into a new roof a few years down the road to address a flashing failure that could have been handled during the original installation.

Proper chimney flashing installation requires attention to detail and experience working with both roofing materials and masonry. Our team handles it the right way every time, with step flashing woven into the shingle courses on the sides of the chimney and counterflashing embedded into the mortar joints above. Done correctly, it's a weathertight seal that lasts the life of the roof.

If your chimney has been a source of leaks or you're not sure when the flashing was last replaced, give us a call at (502) 341-4415 for a free inspection.

For any questions or comments, feel free to email us at jwest@newlookroofs.com. We hope you have a great day and thanks for reading!

- Julian