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At Family Roofing, we take great pride in our experience, expertise, quality and customer service. It is our mission to provide excellent workmanship and complete customer satisfaction from start to completion of a project. Our reputation is based on service, safety and quality, regardless of how large or small the job.
Brick Chimney Concerns
Cracks in a brick or in the masonry joints between bricks are early warning signs that your chimney is on the road to ruin. Patching cracks in your brick chimney can save you thousands of dollars worth of repairs later on, as well as keep you and your family safe by reducing the possibility of chimney fires.
Small cracks in the summer can become surprisingly large cracks by next spring. Letting those larger cracks in the outer brick go unattended will deepen the penetrating effect of rain, snow, and ice. Then, the water begins to work its way down, sometimes between the outer brick and the flashing, sometimes farther inside, between the outer brick and the flue.
Left unchecked, these tiny events can accumulate and result in disaster for roof systems and interior ceilings, insulation, wall studs, and even floors.
The chimney crown is the cement part on top of the chimney. The bricks go up around the tile flue liners, but at the top you need something to stop the rain and snow from just falling in around the tiles. You can see that the very purpose of the chimney crown is to keep rain out. Cracks in the chimney crown can occur from shifting of the structure or from shrinkage dating back to the first day the crown was put on. When your crown has cracks, the water goes right through those cracks.
What are chimney caps and why do I need one?
A chimney cap is capping that will go around the top of a chimney. It is needed and is essential for your chimney as it will keep moisture, animals and debris from getting in your chimney. Many homeowners don’t think it is important to have a chimney cap, but it is. The chimney cap will end up saving you money in repairs later down the road.
What is chimney flashing and why is it important?
Chimney flashing is the sheet metal installed for the purpose of ensuring that the connection between the chimney and roof is watertight. It seals the space between your roof and your chimney. In essence, flashing is a small strip of metal, vinyl, or some other type of waterproof material that is designed to cover the area between a chimney or another type of protrusion and the surface of your roof. Chimney flashing keeps rain and the water from melting snow from leaking into your house.
Repair Cracks to Prevent Chimney Fires
Even worse, cracks in a brick chimney that continue from the flue to the exterior are one cause behind a terrifying, devastating phenomenon: a chimney fire. Chimney fires can ignite instantly. Once a chimney fire has started, only the fire department can stop it since it must be extinguished from the top-down.
The good news is that cracks in chimney brick, mortar, crown, and cap are a relatively easy fix. Call a professional to make sure the work is performed correctly. You should get your chimney inspected at least once in a year.
What is a Roof Cricket?
A roof cricket is a sloped backing that diverts water away from the chimney and down the roof. A roofer builds a roof cricket out of wood and then adds metal flashing or asphalt shingles on top. During installation, the roofer incorporates the chimney cricket into the chimney flashing system.
A chimney cricket (or saddle) is a tent-shaped structure that redirects water on a roof around the chimney system. It is made out of materials like steel or aluminum that are resistant to water. If your chimney is made out of wood or brick, touching the roofline, or slanted towards your roofline, you will need a chimney cricket.
Any time you are working on a roof there is the potential for falls and serious injury, and the higher the roof or the steeper the pitch of the roof, the greater the danger will be. If you choose to do your own chimney repair, make sure to work on a dry day, and to wear shoes or boots with firm-grip soles. Never work on a roof that is damp. This doesn’t imply that you should start doing chimney repairs on your own if you don’t have any prior experience.