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Flashing: where the roof and the chimney argue
Flashing is the layered metal joint where the chimney passes through the roof, and the single most misdiagnosed leak in residential work. Roofers point at the masonry, masons point at the shingles, and the homeowner repaints the ceiling twice while the water keeps coming. Our rule is simple: test, then repair. Controlled water testing isolates the flashing from the crown and the brick, so the fix targets the actual entry point.
How flashing fails
Proper flashing is two layers: step flashing woven into the shingle courses and counter flashing cut into the masonry joints above, lapped so water sheds layer to layer. Failures come from age, from sealant-only shortcuts where caulk was asked to do metal's job, and from roof replacements where the old flashing got reused against the new shingles. Wind-driven rain off the Sound finds every one of those shortcuts.
Reset or replace
Sound flashing that has pulled loose gets reset and re-secured with fresh counter-flashing joints. Rusted, sealant-buried, or improperly layered flashing gets replaced with new metal cut into the mortar joints the way the assembly was designed. If your roof is within a couple of years of replacement, we say so and coordinate the timing, because paying for flashing twice is a bad plan.
Common questions
Can flashing be fixed with roofing caulk?
Caulk buys months, not years, and often hides the failure while water keeps entering slowly. Flashing is a mechanical metal assembly, and lasting repair means metal layered correctly, not sealant over the top.
Who fixes flashing, the roofer or the chimney company?
Either trade does when they do it correctly. The advantage of a chimney company is that the masonry side, the counter flashing cut into the joints, is our home turf, and we test the crown and cap in the same visit.
How much of a leak comes from flashing versus the chimney?
In our diagnostic work the split is close to even, which is exactly why testing beats guessing. Paying for a crown repair when the flashing was leaking fixes nothing.