What Is a Chimney Cricket and Why Does It Matter

This is what we call a cricket. It's a ridge structure built on the high side of a chimney to divert water around it and off the roof. Without one, water pools against the back of the chimney every time it rains, and over time that leads to wood rot, leaks, and structural damage that's expensive to fix.

Unfortunately for this Louisville homeowner, the previous roofing contractor didn't install one. The photo on the left shows exactly what happens as a result: damaged wood that had been sitting exposed to moisture for years. It's a completely avoidable problem, and one we see more often than we should.

A chimney cricket isn't optional on chimneys above a certain width. The International Residential Code requires one on any chimney wider than 30 inches, measured perpendicular to the roof slope. Even on smaller chimneys, installing a cricket is simply good practice. It costs relatively little to include during a roof installation and can save a homeowner thousands in repairs down the road.

At New Look Roof, we install chimney crickets as a standard part of any job where the chimney requires one. We believe in doing the job right the first time so our Louisville customers don't end up with the kind of damage you see in these photos. If your home has a chimney and you're not sure whether a cricket was installed, it's worth having someone take a look .

Call us at (502) 341-4415 for a free inspection or estimate.

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