Quick AnswerFlashing is the metal barrier where your chimney meets the roofline, and it's the most common source of chimney-related roof leaks we find in Cleveland homes. Repair usually means resealing, refitting, or replacing sections of step flashing and counter-flashing that have rusted, pulled loose, or were installed with the wrong technique to begin with. Roofing tar is not a permanent fix and tends to fail within a year or two. Proper flashing repair, done to NFPA 211 standards, holds up for the long term.
What’s Included
Where a chimney meets the roof is one of the hardest places on a house to keep watertight, because you've got two different materials, brick and shingles, moving at different rates and both shedding water toward the same seam. Flashing is supposed to handle that, but it's often installed poorly the first time, gets damaged by ice and wind over the years, or was patched with roofing cement that eventually cracks and peels. We repair or replace flashing so water sheds off the roof and away from the chimney the way it's supposed to, instead of finding its way underneath.
- We remove failed step flashing and counter-flashing rather than caulking over it, since sealant alone can't compensate for metal that's rusted through or pulled away from the brick.
- New flashing is cut and fitted piece by piece along the roofline, tucked properly under shingles on the roof side and into a reglet or mortar joint on the chimney side.
- Counter-flashing is set into the brick mortar joint and sealed with a high-quality masonry sealant, not just laid over the brick face where water can run behind it.
- We check for and remove old tar or caulk patch jobs, which trap moisture underneath and often hide the actual extent of the corrosion until they're pulled back.
- All flashing seams and corners get sealed with materials rated for exterior exposure, since these joints take the brunt of Cleveland's wind-driven rain and snowmelt.
- We inspect the surrounding shingles and roof decking for water damage while the flashing is exposed, since a flashing leak often means nearby wood has already gotten wet.
Signs You Need This
- Water stains on the ceiling or wall closest to the chimney
- Visible rust, gaps, or lifted edges on the metal around the chimney base
- Missing or cracked roofing cement patched over the flashing
- Damp or discolored insulation in the attic near the chimney chase
- Shingles near the chimney that look curled, stained, or loose
Our Process
Roof and attic inspection
We check the flashing from the roof and look for water staining in the attic or ceiling below to confirm where the leak is actually entering.
Removing failed flashing
Rusted, gapped, or improperly installed flashing and any old tar patches are pulled away so we're working with a clean, dry surface.
Installing and sealing new flashing
Step flashing and counter-flashing are cut to fit, tucked under shingles, set into the mortar joint, and sealed with exterior-rated sealant.
Water test and walkthrough
We check the repair for proper water shedding and walk you through what was replaced before we leave.
How Much Does It Cost?
Flashing repair costs depend on how much of the flashing run needs to be replaced versus resealed, and whether the existing installation was done correctly to begin with. We give you a flat-fee written estimate after inspecting the roofline in person, so you know the full cost before any metal comes off your roof. If we find water damage to the decking or shingles once the flashing is pulled back, we'll show you and quote that separately rather than folding it into the original number without asking. No hourly surprises, no add-on charges after the fact.
FAQs
Roofing tar and caulk are temporary fixes at best. They crack, shrink, and separate from both the metal and the brick within a season or two, especially through Cleveland's freeze-thaw winters, which is why the leak keeps coming back until the flashing itself is properly replaced.
Flashing leaks usually show up as staining on the ceiling near the roofline, while crown leaks tend to show up as moisture inside the chimney chase itself. We inspect both during a service call so you're not guessing or paying to fix the wrong thing.
Yes, we install and repair flashing to meet NFPA 211 standards for chimney and roof intersections. That means proper step flashing, counter-flashing set into the masonry, and correct overlap, not just a bead of sealant.