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What is a Chimney Cricket?
Crickets are an important chimney component that helps protect your chimney and roof against water entry. A chimney cricket 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.
Many people struggle with roof leaks due to not having a chimney cricket to divert hard rain away from the walls of their chimney system. When water flows down the slant of your roof, it can quickly pool and absorb through the porous surfaces of your chimney. When you add a cricket, water parts over the slant of the cricket and shoots down the sides, away from your chimney, and into your gutters. Unfortunately, the bigger the chimney, the more vulnerable it is to water damage. Any chimney, over 30 inches wide, is highly recommended to have a cricket installed. The good news is, once you get a cricket, you can avoid years of roof leaks and costly repairs from damage caused by overflowing water.
Types of Chimney Crickets
Material Types
If you don’t get a cricket made with the house, then you will need a galvanized steel or aluminum-based addition made from a local shop. Steel is less expensive but also less durable. It can rust and won’t last nearly as long as aluminum. Aluminum does not corrode and can easily last a lifetime, though it is more expensive. Depending on your budget and needs, either option can do the job well and give you great protection against rook leaking.
Why are crickets important?
Crickets play an important role in helping to prevent chimney leaks by protecting your chimney flashing at its most vulnerable point. Because it involves both the roof and the chimney, flashing is often the most vulnerable point on your chimney for water entry. As water flows down the roof and onto the upper backside of the chimney, the flashing at this point may deteriorate and lead to water entry faster. This area of the chimney receives the most amount of water exposure yet is least visible from ground level. Because of this, a cricket can help minimize the chance of a chimney leak occurring and create a watertight seal that will last for years to come.
Is a Roof Cricket Necessary?
Crickets are imperative to the longevity of your chimney and roof. They allow water and debris to run off the roof and into your gutters efficiently. Due to their large mass, chimneys have a way of attracting water. Whether it be through the roof’s interior or exterior, the excessive flow of water down your roof will inevitably pool around the chimney. It then gets under shingles which accelerates the deterioration of the flashing and brick work. It also allows water to make its way into your home, causing varying amounts of unseen issues. Sometimes the damage costs homeowners thousands of dollars to repair.
Many homeowners attempt to perform quick fixes for water puddling around the chimney, such as roofing tar. Unfortunately, this quick fix will slightly delay the imminent, which is thousands of dollars in damages to your chimney and home. But not every chimney needs one. As mentioned earlier, crickets on your roof are only necessary for chimneys that are one, located on the roof’s slope, and two, a minimum of 30 inches wide on the side facing the slope.
Protecting Your Chimney
A chimney cricket isn’t just useful during heavy summer storms or the casual passing rains. During the winter, a chimney without a cricket behind it invites snow and ice to pile in this sneaky spot.
Snow can easily rest in this area behind your chimney, even if you’ve cleared off your roof after a heavy snowfall it can be nearly impossible to properly reach. If the temperatures dip below freezing, you’ve got an even bigger problem than wet snow behind your chimney. You could experience a potential ice dam as the snow collects and the water refreezes.
An ice dam is a heavy amount of ice that prevents water from properly running down your roof. This can cause serious damage to your chimney if you don’t have a cricket in place to discourage snow and ice from forming in this spot. Water can penetrate into your chimney and your roof if an ice dam forms, but a chimney cricket can prevent this from occurring because it curbs water from pooling at the base of the chimney altogether.
Whether or not your chimney needs a cricket depends on its size and location on the roof. Chimneys that are less than 30 inches wide may not need a cricket. This is because the larger the chimney is, the greater chance for water entry it has. Location can also impact whether or not your chimney needs a cricket. Unless your chimney is installed directly on the
Do I need a cricket?
If your home does not already have a cricket, installing one is a relatively easy fix. A professional can install a cricket on its own or as part of a flashing repair. Likewise, if your chimney does not currently have any issues with leaks or water entry a cricket can be installed while the home is being re-roofed.