Home repair help needed

[Volzfan]

Guys, I'm in need of someone that is in the home repair business. I have developed a water leak that is coming from my chimney. I don't know if it is coming thru the top of the chimney or leaking somewhere around where it meets the roof. It has damaged the drywall above the fireplace so that will need to be replaced. I'm hoping that the cap on the chimney can just have some type of sealer put up there and fix the leak. The chimney will have to be reached by ladder. You cannot stand on the roof and see the top of it. I'm too old and fat to get up there myself and even when I was younger I didn't like heights enough to do this.

If one of you is in the business and can make this repair and could come by and give me an estimate that would be great. If not but you have used a handyman that you would recommend then please let me know who that guy is and how to get in touch with him. I am in the I-24/Haywood Lane area on the SE side of Nashville.

Thanks

[Guest jackdm3]

Been there for my grandmother. Same symptoms. I installed a chimney saddle, also called a cricket. Almost all houses are missing this crucial little invention. It's a fabricated piece of sheet metal about 4 inches tall that splits/diverts the rushing water to the left and right of the chimney. The roof MUST be measured for "pitch" and the chimney measured for width so it mates correctly. You have to peel back and cut away just the right courses of shingles so you have them to overlap the "tabs" on this piece. You don't want water flowing underneath the saddle. Best money we ever spent on a single repair for her house. BUT shop around for pricing. I found two places on the same street to build the same saddle. One was $240 and the other $70. This goes beyond the performance of flashing and re-shingling.

Edited April 13, 2010 by jackdm3

[rentalguy1]

It sounds more like the flashing around the chimney is worn out, or that it never had a seal installed around it. You may want to call a actual roofer to get up there and take a look at it. I know you can't get on the roof, but if you can get up into the attic, you could verify this problem and get the right person out there in the beginning.

[Volzfan]

Been there for my grandmother. Same symptoms. I installed a chimney saddle, also called a cricket. Almost all houses are missing this crucial little invention. It's a fabricated piece of sheet metal about 4 inches tall that splits/diverts the rushing water to the left and right of the chimney. The roof MUST be measured for "pitch" and the chimney measured for width so it mates correctly. You have to peel back and cut away just the right courses of shingles so you have them to overlap the "tabs" on this piece. You don't want water flowing underneath the saddle. Best money we ever spent on a single repair for her house. BUT shop around for pricing. I found two places on the same street to build the same saddle. One was $240 and the other $70.

The house was built with that already there. We've been here for almost 11 years and it was new when we moved in.

It sounds more like the flashing around the chimney is worn out, or that it never had a seal installed around it. You may want to call a actual roofer to get up there and take a look at it. I know you can't get on the roof, but if you can get up into the attic, you could verify this problem and get the right person out there in the beginning.

I have been up on the roof before and everything LOOKS OK. I have been into the attic and I can see no evidence of the leak. That wall where the FP is goes up to about 7.5 ft and then takes on the pitch of the roof up to the 9ft ceiling height. The interior damage starts at the angled joint and the wall. there is no damage above that.

[SpartaTN]

One thing you may want to check is whether the brick is porous. My parents have to paint a water sealer on their brick almost every year, as water is seeping in through the brick and running down into their basement. The brick company was a little surprised by it, but didn't have any solutions for them other than painting the sealer.

[rentalguy1]

strange, for sure. Good luck with it.

[Guest jackdm3]

That narrows it down, if you have a saddle. For that device, all you can do is check the seal/caulking where it mates on three sides to the chimney and under the tabs going uphill.

Sometimes there are cracks in the mortar of the bricks at the top. To keep raccoons out, I built a steel plate to cover the chimney hole but is elevated two inches above the rim to let the smoke out. That might keep your stormwaters out of it. They sell them at Depot, but they tend to be flimsy. Otherwise I would scrutinize the mortar for cracks. You can seal the bricks with waterproofer.

[Guest strelcevina]

i had i similar problem. and decided to change whole roof.

after removing shingles , i had to change plywood around chimney.

and

it wasnt done right before, water was damaging wood around it.

anyway i fixed it and now it is how should be

[Volzfan]

Sorry guys, I failed to mention that the chimney is covered with vinyl siding.

I just talked to a neighbor whose house was built by the same people and her chimney is similar to mine. Her's is also leaking. They have a flat metal piece that overlaps the top of the chimney by about 3 inches. (My chimney is about 2'X4') Then the chimney cap is in the center of that. She had a friend go up to check hers and said that top piece was screwed in on the four corners but instead of putting the screws thru the sides, they put them thru the top. He put tar on the screws and she said that it helped but didn't stop the water.

Maybe the thing to do is to go ahead and remove the damaged drywall and see if I can tell exactly where it's coming from.

[Guest db99wj]

I'm sending you a pm.

[Volzfan]

I'm sending you a pm.

Got it. Thank you

I'll give him a call.

[mikegideon]

Sorry guys, I failed to mention that the chimney is covered with vinyl siding.

I just talked to a neighbor whose house was built by the same people and her chimney is similar to mine. Her's is also leaking. They have a flat metal piece that overlaps the top of the chimney by about 3 inches. (My chimney is about 2'X4') Then the chimney cap is in the center of that. She had a friend go up to check hers and said that top piece was screwed in on the four corners but instead of putting the screws thru the sides, they put them thru the top. He put tar on the screws and she said that it helped but didn't stop the water.

Maybe the thing to do is to go ahead and remove the damaged drywall and see if I can tell exactly where it's coming from.

I live pretty close to you. The biggest problem is finding a good craftsman to fix the problem. You may be better off getting a good roofing company to fix the leak, and a seperate guy to do the drywall stuff. I haven't had the best luck with the jack-of-all-trades types.

[R1100R]

Got it. Thank you

I'll give him a call.

I am using this person now. So far so good.

[mikegideon]

I am using this person now. So far so good.

if you have a good one, I may need him too

[Tnscooter63]

Sorry guys, I failed to mention that the chimney is covered with vinyl siding.

I just talked to a neighbor whose house was built by the same people and her chimney is similar to mine. Her's is also leaking. They have a flat metal piece that overlaps the top of the chimney by about 3 inches. (My chimney is about 2'X4') Then the chimney cap is in the center of that. She had a friend go up to check hers and said that top piece was screwed in on the four corners but instead of putting the screws thru the sides, they put them thru the top. He put tar on the screws and she said that it helped but didn't stop the water.

Maybe the thing to do is to go ahead and remove the damaged drywall and see if I can tell exactly where it's coming from.

Sometimes when installing siding on a chimney we take off the 1x4 trim boards to put the corner pieces on and more than likely the water is getting in at one of the lower corners because it wasnt properly sealed after removing the trim board or leaking around the chimney cap at the top. Either way the chimney will probably need to have siding taken apart and put flashing on the corners and sealed good on the chimney cap.

[Volzfan]

db99wj's brother is coming by Sat. to take a look.