Base flashing repair
The flashing where the roof meets the chimney base is the most common failure. It is lifted, re-set and the counter-flashing is checked over it.
Serving Ferry County
Flashing and Chimney Repair in Republic, WA
Repairing the flashing, the counter-flashing and the cap at chimneys and stovepipes across Republic and Ferry County.
- Snow load and ice on roofs
- Wind and wildfire-season damage
- Rural homes across Ferry County
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (833) 751-2102. Or send this and we call you back.
Chimney Flashing
Flashing and Chimney Repair: what it covers
Quick answer
A chimney or stovepipe is a set of joints where the roof meets a tall, hot and cold object. Snow and ice work at those joints each winter, so the flashing and the cap are checked before the first heavy snowfall.
A wood stove or a furnace in a house on this part of the state runs through the winter, and the chimney or stovepipe through the roof runs hot and then cold each day. That movement works the flashing and the sealant at the joint. A flashing that was sound in the autumn can be lifted by the spring.
The chimney is also a place where snow collects and ice builds. The crew checks the flashing, the counter-flashing and the cap, because each one can fail in a different way and the owner will not see the failure from inside the house until the water arrives.
- Service area
- Republic & Ferry County
- Availability
- Call to reach a local roofer
- Phone
- (833) 751-2102
Warning signs
Signs you need flashing and chimney repair
A chimney is hot when the stove is lit, and a stove pipe can burn skin. Do not touch a hot flue or pipe. Do not chip snow or ice at a chimney from the roof, which can crack the crown and the flue.
- Sealant that has cracked or pulled away at the chimney edge
- Rust or lifting at the flashing on the uphill side
- A chimney cap that is cracked or missing
- Staining on the wall below the chimney after a thaw
- Snow or ice building in a ring around the chimney base
Our process
How our flashing and chimney repair visit works
Check the flashing at each joint
The base flashing, the step flashing and the counter-flashing are checked for lifting and gaps. The uphill side is checked most closely because the meltwater runs there first.
Inspect the cap and the crown
The chimney cap and the crown are checked for cracks. A crack in the crown lets water run into the flue and down the chimney wall.
Re-set or replace the failed part
Lifted flashing is re-set into the mortar or the wall and fastened into sound material. A failed cap is replaced. Sealant is used as a secondary seal, not the main one.
Record the chimney condition
The condition of each joint and the clearance to the stove or furnace pipe are recorded for the owner. The owner should have a chimney professional check the flue separately.
Why the joints open in a cold season
Heat and cold move the metal and the mortar at different rates, and the joint opens.
A flashing that is metal, bedded in mortar or sealant against masonry, expands and contracts at a different rate from the chimney. Each cycle of heat from the stove and the cold outside works the joint a little more. The sealant cracks first and the metal follows.
The result is a gap at the uphill side, where the snow and the melt run. The water finds the gap in the thaw and runs down behind the flashing into the wall below.
- Metal and masonry move at different rates
- Sealant cracks first
- The uphill side fails first
The counter-flashing and the mortar
The counter-flashing is what keeps the flashing shedding water, and it is set into the mortar.
Counter-flashing is cut into the mortar joint above the step flashing, so water runs over the flashing and not behind it. If the mortar has eroded, the counter-flashing lifts and the water runs behind. The repair re-sets the counter-flashing into sound mortar, and it repoints where the mortar has failed.
Where the mortar is too far gone, the crew says so. The masonry is then a job for a mason, and the owner is advised to get that done before the flashing is re-set.
- Counter-flashing set into sound mortar
- Eroded mortar repointed
- Failed masonry referred to a mason
Clearance and the stove pipe
A pipe through a roof must keep a set clearance from combustible material.
A stovepipe or chimney through the roof needs a clearance from combustible materials, and that clearance is set by the stove or the chimney manufacturer and by the building rules. The crew checks the flashing and the collar at the roof, but it does not certify the flue or the stove.
The owner should have a chimney or stove professional check the flue each season. The roofer records what it sees at the roof and notes any item for that professional.
- Roof collar checked for fit
- Flue and stove checked separately
- Owner gets a note for the chimney professional
Before the first snow
The chimney check is most useful before the first heavy snow of the season.
A check in the early autumn lets the crew re-set a lifted flashing while the roof is dry and the mortar can cure. A check made in the middle of a cold spell is harder and less safe, so it is better done early.
The owner can look at the chimney from the ground each autumn for staining, cracks in the crown and any gap at the cap, and report anything new.
- Check in early autumn
- Look for staining and cracks from the ground
- Report anything new before snow
The step flashing along a sloped wall
Where the roof meets a wall above the chimney, the step flashing carries the water down past each course.
Step flashing is a row of short pieces, each set under the shingle above and over the shingle below, that runs up the slope against the wall. Each piece has to be set so the water runs over the next one. A piece set the wrong way, or one that has lifted, lets the water run behind the whole run.
The crew checks each step from the roof side, and where the shingles have been lifted to reach it, the course is re-laid so the step sits under the course above.
- Each step sits under the course above
- Lifted steps re-set in order
- Water runs over, never behind
Ventilation near the chimney
The air around a chimney has to move, or the roof above it stays warm and the snow melts unevenly.
A chimney that runs warm through the attic heats the roof deck near it, and the snow melts there first. The meltwater runs down to the cold eave and freezes. The crew checks the attic air around the chimney and notes any place the chimney is close to the insulation.
Clearance from insulation and framing is a matter for the chimney professional and the building rules. The roofer records what it sees and passes the note to the owner rather than deciding the clearance itself.
- Attic air around the chimney checked
- Insulation close to the chimney noted
- Clearance referred to a chimney professional
The mortar and the cap
The mortar in the chimney and the cap on top are the two parts that let water into the masonry.
Mortar that has crumbled at the joints lets water soak into the brick or the block, and the water then freezes and cracks the masonry from inside. The cap at the top is meant to shed the water away from the flue. A cap that is cracked or missing lets the rain and the melt run down the inside of the chimney.
The crew looks at the joints and the cap from the roof and from the ground. Repointing the mortar is a mason's job, and the crew says where it is needed and does not present itself as a mason.
- Crumbled mortar noted for a mason
- Cap checked for cracks and fit
- Water kept out of the masonry
Smoke and staining on the roof
Dark staining on the roof near the chimney is a sign of the flue and the cap working together.
Dark streaks on the shingles around the chimney can come from smoke and from the flue gases that escape at the cap. The streaks are a clue to the draft and the cap, not only a cosmetic issue. The crew notes the streaks and passes them to the chimney professional, because the flue is not the roof crew's to certify.
Staining on the chimney wall below the roof edge is recorded too, with the date and the weather, so the owner has a record of when it appeared.
- Streaks on shingles near chimney noted
- Note passed to chimney professional
- Wall staining dated and recorded
Options
Types and options for flashing and chimney repair
Stovepipe boot repair
The stovepipe through the roof has a collar or boot that cracks and lets water in. The boot is replaced to the pipe size, and the flange below is checked.
Cap and crown repair
A cracked crown or a missing cap is repaired so water runs off the chimney and not down the flue and the masonry.
Ferry County
Why flashing and chimney repair is different in Ferry County
Woodstoves and furnace flues run much of the winter in this area, so the chimney flashing takes a longer season of heat and cold than in a milder county.
Snow piled against the chimney base can hold meltwater against the flashing, so the snow is cleared from the chimney base carefully and not chipped.
The crew checks the chimney on the same visit as the roof edge and the gutters, so the owner gets one record for the roof.
Need flashing and chimney repair today?
Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.
Where we work
Flashing and Chimney Repair across Ferry County
- Chimney Flashing in Republic
- Chimney Flashing in Malo
- Chimney Flashing in Wauconda
- Chimney Flashing in Curlew
- Chimney Flashing in Danville
- Chimney Flashing in Boyds
- Chimney Flashing in Orient
- Chimney Flashing in Inchelium
- Chimney Flashing in Marcus
- Chimney Flashing in Tonasket
- Chimney Flashing in Kettle Falls
- Chimney Flashing in Laurier
- Chimney Flashing in Rice
- Chimney Flashing in Evans
- Chimney Flashing in Oroville
- Chimney Flashing in Nespelem
- Chimney Flashing in Gifford
- Chimney Flashing in Colville
- Chimney Flashing in Omak
- Chimney Flashing in Riverside
- Chimney Flashing in Addy
- Chimney Flashing in Keller
- Chimney Flashing in Coulee Dam
- Chimney Flashing in Okanogan
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Winter Leak Repair
Finding and sealing the joint where thaw water enters a roof in Republic and the surrounding Ferry County towns.
Ice Dam and Meltwater Repair
Clearing and preventing ice dams in Republic and Ferry County by fixing the eave, the ice barrier and the warm air leaking into the attic.
Shingle Roof Repair
Replacing cracked and lifted asphalt shingles across Republic and Ferry County, with the courses around each repair checked.
Metal Roof Repair
Repairing bent metal panels, lifted seams and loose fasteners on metal roofs across Republic and Ferry County.
FAQ
Flashing and Chimney Repair FAQs
Is my chimney safe to use?
The roof crew checks the flashing and the cap. The flue and the stove need a chimney professional. The roof record can be passed to that professional.
Can sealant alone fix a lifted flashing?
Only as a short fix. Sealant is the secondary seal. The flashing has to be re-set into sound material to hold.
How often should the chimney be checked?
The roof flashing and cap are worth checking once a year before the first snow. The flue is checked by a chimney professional on the schedule that professional recommends.