Chimneys
Another area that must be addressed on every roof is the chimney.  Two areas of the chimney need to be inspected; the lead flashing at the base of the chimney and the cricket on the slope side of the chimney.

A problem area if not flashed correctly.  The majority of the chimneys in New England are constructed with brick and lead flashing.  Every time the roof is replaced the lead is disturbed and potentially damaged.  When we perform an inspection on your roof we will evaluate the condition of the lead and the mortar that is in the brick joints.  If we feel that the lead will fail and not hold up we will then recommend that it be replaced during the roofing project.  If the mortar between the bricks has failed we will recommend that the chimney be re-pointed.  Below are some pictures of these conditions.

   

Lead
Lead can last 100 years or more, but the typical problems that we find with the lead is mishandling of it during roof jobs.  If this is the first time the roof is being replaced, the lead is usually in good shape.  As the house ages, so does the brick, mortar and other structures.  As the roofs are replaced over the years, people tend to puncture, cut or tear the lead.  This makes the lead useless.  Caulking the lead or tarring it is only a temporary fix and which is why we recommend when replacing the roof, the lead should also be replaced.

   

 

Process – lead or re-lead
We begin by removing the old lead and then grinding out the old mortar.  This allows us to counter flash the chimney, also known as re-leading the base.  Once the old mortar is removed, we then install the new lead and re-mortar the lead in place.  Then we install the Ice & Water for the roof deck, up and under the new lead.  We then install new step flashing over the Ice & Water and under the new lead.

   

 

Chimney Repair
We must not forget to inspect the rest of the chimney.  If the mortar in the remaining part of the chimney is deteriorating we recommend re-pitching the chimney.  This involves grinding out the old mortar with a diamond grinder and installing new mortar in the joints.  We then trowel the joints and wash the brick with muratic acid to clean off any excess cement.

  

 

Chimney Cap
Most chimneys do not have a chimney cap.  This is optional and can be made from masonary, aluminum or steel.

 

 

Chimney Flute
While we are on the roof we can also inspect the chimney flute.  If one is non-existing, you may have a flute liner installed; if the flute is in place and damaged we can repair it.  However, we do not install flutes.  Typically we can repair a chimney flute down to the roof line.  If we need to go further it would require access to the attic and all work would be performed from inside.