Brookhaven Roof & Leak
Dekalb County, Georgia

Chimney and flashing leaks in Dekalb County

Flashing fails more often than shingles do, and the chimney is where it fails first. Masonry and roof framing move at different rates, which over years opens the joint where counter-flashing is set into the mortar. Step flashing up the sides, counter-flashing into the brick, and the cricket behind the stack are the usual suspects on a leak where the roof itself looks fine. On older chimneys the mortar joint holding the counter-flashing is often the actual failure rather than the metal.

Call (229) 235-1425

What the job involves

  • Inspection of step flashing, counter-flashing, apron and cricket
  • Removal and rebuild of failed flashing rather than sealant over the top
  • Check of the chimney crown and cap for separate water entry
  • Photographs of the failure before work starts

Signs you need it

  • Staining on the ceiling near the chimney breast
  • Damp on the chimney breast itself, inside the house
  • Rust streaks on the shingles below the stack

Why roofs fail in Dekalb County

Dekalb County sits in the metro Atlanta hail and wind corridor. Spring storm season here does two kinds of damage, and only one of them is obvious. Straight-line wind lifts shingle tabs, breaks the seal strip underneath, and drops them back down looking untouched — the roof then leaks in the next storm from a spot that shows nothing from the ground. Hail does the other kind, bruising the mat under the granules so the shingle fails months later. Housing stock across Dekalb County skews newer and denser than most of the state, which means a lot of architectural asphalt in the 10-to-20-year band where the seal strip is past its best but the roof is nowhere near replacement.

Questions about chimney and flashing leaks in Dekalb County

Can you just seal it rather than rebuild the flashing?

Sealant buys a season at most. It is applied over a joint that is moving, so it cracks at the first full temperature cycle. Where flashing has genuinely failed, rebuilding it is the repair; caulk is a way of paying twice.

Could the water be coming through the brickwork rather than the roof?

It can. A cracked crown, a missing cap, or spalled brick lets water into the stack and it shows up inside looking exactly like a flashing leak. Worth checking both — they are different trades and different fixes.

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Describe what you are seeing

You will get a straight answer on whether Dekalb County needs someone out today or whether it can wait — before anyone quotes you for anything.

Call (229) 235-1425
Call (229) 235-1425