# Roof leak near chimney



## Slyfox (Jun 13, 2008)

It's hard to say with out a photo.

A poorly wrapped corner with the metal, a fastener out of place in the shingles, not enough over lap.

If you can get a picture of the chimney from a couple ground views and a couple exterior photos of the leak in the attic.


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## AaronB (Jan 29, 2005)

Water test the roofing again, making sure they do not spray the chimney. This will tell you if it is the chimney.


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## GlennAble (Oct 2, 2009)

Thanks for the input. I have attached a picture of the exterior chimney at the roof where the leaks appear to be occurring - given the steep pitch of the roof it is hard to get many exterior pics. I've also attached an interior picture of the leaks that have occurred in the 2nd floor bedroom. The roofing company is sending me the pics from the attic that they took during the first water test they conducted - I'll post them as soon as I receive them.


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## Slyfox (Jun 13, 2008)

I can't get a real good look at the workmanship of that flashing but from what I can see it looks ok to me. can not see the top "backside" at all in that photo tho and that is the most critical and hardest portion to properly install.

When a leak occurs in the chimney cap or through the bricks themselves the water ends up inside the chimney and shows up in multiple places such as in the fire place base and basement.
So my gut feeling and experience tells me it's a leak some where in the shingles, flashing or both at the point where the two connect.

I would water test the bottom only first, than the side only, than finally the top "back side".


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## stuart45 (Jun 20, 2009)

Has the flashing been done properly. It looks a lot different to the ones I am used to. A 4 year old house shouldn't have this problem. These might help you see how the job can be done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkvwjEOl and type in Just Lead flashing a chimney. Also look at the one on Fitting a lead DPC tray.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

That does not even appear close to a properly flashed chimney. To have it done properly, the flashing would have been put in place when the chimney was built, and Stepped. Get someone out there that can do it correctly, even if you have to take a bite in the wallet. Then bill the builder from your lawyer's desk to reimburse you for costs incurred from their stupidity for hiring low ball sub's.


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## Baron (Jan 6, 2009)

That chimney is not flashed properly. Check out this correct way to do it.


http://images.google.com/imgres?img...&sa=N&start=36&um=1&ei=ivDHSvGIC4vHlAeswYiSAw


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## stuart45 (Jun 20, 2009)

GlenAble,
Do thay use chimney trays in your area? http://justlead.co.uk/dpc-chimney-tray.html
These are fitted as standard in chimneys here, as without them there is usually a good chance of a leak. 
BTW your Texan bricks look quite thin, only about 3 inches wide. Is that a standard size there?


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## Slyfox (Jun 13, 2008)

Just because it's not stepped off doe's not mean it's not done properly.
I have been around long enough to have done it both ways, thus know how to and both ways are water tight if installed properly.

As far as the pan in the backside, I did not comment on that because I can not see the details of it from that picture.

The bottom "front piece" is installed first.
The side piece is installed second.
The top "backside piece" is installed last.

Most likely there's been a very simple mistake made in the overlap of one or more of the pieces during the install, or possibly poorly installed step flashing and maybe a combination of both.

Like I said there may/may not be a major issue with the pan on the top "backside" but I can not see the pan from that pic.


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## stuart45 (Jun 20, 2009)

I can see how that flashing would work if it's cut into the brickwork properly. Probably doesn't look as good as a stepped flashing but does the job, depending on the soakers underneath.


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## stuart45 (Jun 20, 2009)

The flashing on my house is just sand/cement fillet, but doesn't leak yet.


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

I'm wondering if the chimney is settling, causing the leaks
That's a pretty big crack in the corner wall
And the sheetrock almost looks like its being pushed down & bowing out on the wall by the window

But the caulking/roof tar should have enough flex in it....


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## Slyfox (Jun 13, 2008)

Scuba_Dave said:


> I'm wondering if the chimney is settling, causing the leaks
> That's a pretty big crack in the corner wall
> And the sheetock almost looks like its being pushed down & bowing out on the wall by the window
> 
> But the caulking/roof tar should have enough flex in it....


I noticed the inside corner also, I just figured it was part of the leak and just was not showing up as badly on that side.


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## Slyfox (Jun 13, 2008)

stuart45 said:


> The flashing on my house is just sand/cement fillet, but doesn't leak yet.
> View attachment 13903


Nice roof, I have never had the chance to install one "yet" maybe some day.


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## stuart45 (Jun 20, 2009)

Slyfox said:


> Nice roof, I have never had the chance to install one "yet" maybe some day.


The downside of thatch is the expense. I am getting the ridge replaced next year which will cost about $1500. They need doing about every 10 years. The insulation value is good though as 1 ft thickness of thatch is said to be the same as 6 inches of fibreglass. You can see where the birds have been helping themselves to some of my roof for their nests. The plastic snake hasn't stopped them.


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## Michael Thomas (Jan 27, 2008)

*Glenable*, 

If you have access to to the underside of the roof at the chimney, you may be able to pin-point or at least narrow the area of the leak's location.


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## Marie1313 (Oct 1, 2009)

*Flashing*

The first rule of leaks is that water is alusive. It enter, sits, travels and eventually comes out somewhere! The damage you show is usually indicitive of a flashing problem.

I would suggest doing your own water test. This is easy. You will need two people. Simply simulate a wind driven rain storm with a high pressure hose, hopefully the water will be visible immediately. There are numberous reasons for flashing to go. A big culprit is squirrels. Are there many around you? I have a customer who cannot afford to take down her large tree- $8,000 - that the squirrels are using to jump onto her roof. So every year we replace her flashing after the critters have had their fun sharpening their teeth on her new flashing


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## tinner666 (Mar 14, 2005)

One problem I've found with a back pan cut straight like that is that on rare ocassions, water can wick sideways there. If either corner is even 1/4" higher than the other, it can happen.

I changed my pattern a bit and curled the outer lip downwards to cause the water to wick outwards, not inwards, so to speak. 

ANother important issue is whether or not there is an opening at the outer edge so waterflow isn't hindered. If the shingle blocks water coming around the back pan corner, you'll have an issue.


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## Baron (Jan 6, 2009)

I've seen roofers and mason both invent new ways to ruin a flashing job and then relying on tar, silicone or fast running truck to insure a temporary seal around a chimney, but when done mechanically correct, a chimney need no such sealants other than for asurrances and fear of ice back up from underneath (I seldom use any such nonsense since ice sheilding was invented). 

However if careful consideration, using proper overlapping and positioning of the lead in steps to allow the different materials to "Give" you shouldn't have to use the primitive methods employed by locking shingles to brick and flashing with unproven, cheaply done improper methods that don't stand up to the test of time and actually harm the shingles over time. 

My house is from 1750, with lead, stepped correctly with a chimney of considerable size, close to a valley and doesn't leak ....yet. 300 years is longer than any use of silicone or tar would ever last, and I have yet to see a method on an asphalt roof done correctly with methods other than proper step flashing. I am familiar with counter flashing (one upper piece cut into masonry overlapping a roofing piece that is underneath the roofing and the top piece but un-attached) that works and direct counterflashing which is the norm as one piece from under shingles, up the masonry and into the brick.

Then there are dozens of methods that fail almost imediately or over time using guttering like techniques that don't address expansion and shingle layering or crick problems but are easier to assemble. 

Different material neeed different techniques but are seldom interchangeble with each other. Lead would be a poor use on thatching and mud and sand would be very poor indeed on asphalt or metal roofs.


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## Baron (Jan 6, 2009)

See this image gallery on proper flashing 

http://www.lessardbrothersconstruction.com/?page_id=8&lzkfile=Chimneys/

Or search web for video by justlead in UK for advanced counter flashing the right way.

I hope this helps.:whistling2:


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## tinner666 (Mar 14, 2005)

Too bad they are catching and hindering the water flow on the top corners of the leaded chimney. No visible back pan means water gets trapped. and can leak. Most times, it's a small leak that doesn't show until the wood is shot.


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## Baron (Jan 6, 2009)

Here is a helpful page on my website for chimney flashing that may help clear up or even confuse some people http://www.ronhoehn.com/chimney-flashing/?SSScrollPosition=136

Hope this helps.:yes:


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## bright-roof (Jul 22, 2011)

sounds like it could be the flaunching


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