Apron flashing
The base flashing on the front is renewed lapped over the shingles below.
Roof Repair
Chimney Flashing Repair Paramus, NJ
A Paramus roofer can rebuild the flashing around a leaking chimney so the joint between brick and shingles sheds water on its own, and check whether the crown or brick is part of the problem. One call to (551) 383-2304 reaches a nearby roofer who handles chimney flashing.
Few places on a roof leak as often as the gap around a chimney. The brick and the roof framing move independently as the house settles and seasons change, so the seal between them has to allow for movement. Tar and caulk alone cannot handle that movement for long.
Proper chimney flashing has four main parts. An apron covers the downhill face, step flashing pieces weave in with the shingles along both sides, a back pan or cricket handles the uphill side, and counter flashing set into the mortar joints laps down over everything. Counter flashing is the piece that most often fails or is skipped, replaced by surface-mounted metal and a bead of caulk.
Before replacing flashing, it helps to know whether the chimney above the roof is letting water in. Brick and mortar absorb rain, and a cracked crown or open joints can let water travel down through the masonry to the roof line. Sorting out which one is leaking avoids paying for the wrong repair.
Many chimney flashing repair calls in Paramus also turn up a need for flashing repair or roof leak repair.
Need chimney flashing repair in Paramus? Call (551) 383-2304 and describe the problem to a roofer who works in Paramus.
Call nowThe process
The chimney flashing process
The work follows the path water takes, front to back.
Check the joint
Before anything comes off, the roofer checks the flashing, the brick, the crown and the wood around the chimney. If the masonry is clearly the source, the roofer will say so.
Clear the joint
Shingles around the chimney are removed along with the old flashing, tar and caulk. Rotted sheathing next to the chimney is cut out and renewed.
Add step flashing
After a self-adhered membrane wraps the base of the chimney, the apron goes on the downhill face and step pieces are woven up both sides with new shingles. The step flashing is nailed to the roof deck only, never to the brick.
Build a cricket
On the uphill side, a back pan or saddle is fitted, and on wider chimneys a cricket is framed to split the water around it. Building codes call for a cricket behind chimneys wider than about thirty inches across the slope.
Seal the top edge
A groove is cut into the mortar, and the counter flashing is set into it, either in one piece or stepped to follow the slope. The overlap allows movement while keeping water out.
What is included
Parts of a chimney flashing job
Decking repair
Water-damaged wood at the chimney is cut out so the shingles have solid nailing.
Side flashing
Step pieces up both sides of the chimney are replaced lapped so water runs downhill.
Cricket installation
A saddle diverts water around the uphill side so water cannot pond against the brick.
Cap flashing
Counter flashing is set into ground-out mortar joints instead of caulked to the face.
Related service
Chimney Flashing Replacement Paramus, NJ
Replacing the flashing outright is the better choice when patches keep failing or the metal has corroded. Patching a system that was installed wrong rarely works, because the problem is in how the pieces overlap. It is also the right moment to add a cricket or back pan.
The metal choice matters around masonry. Copper is a long-lasting choice for counter flashing, while aluminum needs protection from contact with lime in the mortar. Matching the metal to the masonry avoids early corrosion.
Related service
Chimney Leak Repair Paramus, NJ
Leaks around a chimney have two main sources: the flashing at the roof and the masonry above it. Flashing leaks show up during rain at the roof line, often worse on the uphill side, while masonry leaks can appear on any side and may continue for a while after the rain stops as soaked brick drains. Hose testing each side and then the chimney top separately settles the question.
If the masonry is the source, the fix may involve the crown, the cap or the brick. A cracked crown needs sealing or rebuilding, a missing cap lets rain straight down the flue, and porous brick can be treated with a breathable water repellent made for masonry. The roofer can spot many of these from the roof and tell you who should fix them.
Local help
Chimney Flashing Repair Near Me
Chimney flashing calls in Paramus come mostly from older brick chimneys that have been reflashed with tar more than once. Across Paramus and nearby communities including Oradell, River Edge, Fair Lawn and New Milford, the chimney type decides the fix: masonry needs counter flashing cut into the brick, and a framed chase needs step flashing behind the siding, so expect the roofer to ask which type is on your house.
Searching for chimney flashing repair near me from Paramus or Oradell, River Edge, Fair Lawn and New Milford? Call (551) 383-2304 to talk to a roofer who works in your part of town.
What the local climate does to a roof
Cold winters bring snow, ice and a long stretch of freezing nights. When warm attic air melts the snow, the meltwater runs down and freezes again at the eaves, which is how ice dams form and back water up under the shingles. Strong coastal storms push rain into every weak spot at the flashing and valleys. That is why roof repair in Paramus is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why not wait
Drier ceilings
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Roofers who know Paramus
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Paramus and nearby towns.
Clear next steps
Ask the roofer about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Chimney Flashing Repair FAQ
What causes a chimney leak if the flashing is new?
Water can still get in through the top or sides of the chimney. Open joints, spalling brick and a damaged crown all let water in above the flashing. In some cases, condensation inside the flue is the cause. Call (551) 383-2304 to have the source traced.
What is a chimney cricket?
A cricket, also called a saddle, is a small peaked structure built behind a chimney on the uphill side. Water flowing down the slope hits the cricket and is steered around both sides. Codes generally require one once a chimney is wider than about thirty inches across the slope.
Should a roofer or a mason repair my chimney flashing?
A roofer handles the flashing, because it has to be woven into the roof. Cutting the counter flashing into the mortar joint is part of that job. Damage to the crown, brick or mortar beyond that is masonry work.
How do I know if my chimney flashing is leaking?
Water marks beside the chimney inside the house are the usual first clue. Inside the attic, water trails on the brick or framing are another clue. Outside, look for loose or rusted flashing and old sealant patches. Call (551) 383-2304 to reach a local roofer.
Is it possible to just reseal chimney flashing?
A single loose section of counter flashing can be reset without replacing everything. If the flashing is corroded or relies on caulk instead of proper lapping, replacing it is the better repair. Adding more tar on top only delays the next leak.
More questions? Call (551) 383-2304
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Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesTalk to a Paramus roofer about chimney flashing repair
Call (551) 383-2304 for a local roofer in Paramus and nearby towns.