Some leaking around chimney in attic (not in house [yet])

[VEFF]

I found some leaking of the roof (flashing) in the attic by the chimney.
I have heard that flashing needs to be inspected (and maintained?) on a regular basis.
It isn't enough to do any damage the inside of the house (not yet at least).

During the inspection 9 months ago, we noticed some slight stains in the kitchen ceiling (it has since been repainted during the upgrades and renovations that I had done).
I asked the inspector if it was an issue. He checked with a moisture meter (measuring device) and noted NO sign of moisture, even though it was (and had been) raining steadily outside during the inspection.
In other words it had PREVIOUSLY been leaking, but had been fixed.
He did note, however, that the chimney flashing should be re-tarred
in a specific spot.
Unfortunately, it looks like the previous owner, while he did complete the task after the inspection, didn't do a thorough enough job.


Anyway, here we are 9 months later; I happened to be in the attic to ensure that my roof raking hadn't done any damage to the shingles (read that the shingles' coating is a protectant against weather [and makes it last longer?]).
I don't think I damaged the coating, since the rake is plastic (poly) and NOT aluminum.

This past Monday, during heavy rain, I did notice one small portion of roof (as seen from within the attic) where the wood boarding (i.e. the roof wood that is located [directly] under the shingle) was damp.
I hope this has nothing to do with the following raking process:
When I was raking the snow after the blizzard, which had
fallen a week earlier, the temperatures were bitter cold and the snow had hardened. It took a fair amount of effort / tugging to get the HARDENED snow to separate.
I hope this tugging didn't shift any tiling a half inch or so leading to that single one foot section that was damp.

Any thoughts on weather the tugging action could have done anything?
I tugged the snow several inches above the roof to separate it in layers.

HOWEVER, maybe it is a good thing that I did the raking and went to check the attic, because otherwise I might not have noticed this chimney leak till the damage was visible from inside the house - I don't check the attic, especially the chimney, that often...

I have two roofing contractors coming for estimates (wanted a second estimate to be safe, since there may be a big difference between the two).
I want to nip this in the bud, since the house has been repainted and I also don't want it to get worse - right now it is not a ton of water and is also limited to the attic and/or invisible (covered) chimney-related areas inside house where chimney runs.

[steelly]

Go to Home Depot and get some "Wet Patch" in the Roofing Department. Get a Ladder and reseal the sheetmetal joint that goes around the Chimney. Check with the associate in that department for the best product for the enviornment that you live in. Save some bucks and learn something at the same time!

[bill]

Hello Veff,

Did you see the movie The Money Pit

Do you have asphalt shingles?

What about the chimney, block, brick or wood framed w/stainless steel flue? Is the chimney in the middle of the roof or on a gable end?

I doubt that you caused any damage with the rake. If the contractor sealed the flashing with a tar based sealer it probably dried out and cracked.

[Dartman]

I repair chimneys and install flashing at our shop. Sometimes you can even see light coming in by the bricks in the attic area and it still wont leak. You might also want to consider a good water sealing compound like thompsons amd a chimney cover while your checking your flashing as bricks will absorb water over time like a sponge and sometimes it has to get out after a while, plus when it freezes it can expand and blow out the mortar joints and facing of the bricks.
The back of the chimney where the roof hits it and water pools is a place to develope leaks as the roof and brick flashing can rot out over time and develope pinholes or just plain huge rust outs and let water in. Water is like elctricity in that it takes the path of least resistence, it also always goes downhill and water leaks can travel along a hidden beam or like that till it hits something and runs down.
Yes get some wet patch and even some good silicon and check all the areas where the flashing does into the brick, make sure they are sealed up, make sure the roof flashing is good and hasnt got any holes. Thats the metal that goes under the shingles and comes up a few inches beside the brick all around.
Many roofers hate to do full flashing jobs and will only do the under shindle part then goop it up with tar and call it good, it's not, eventually any tar becomes brittle and opens up or cracks. They also will just reuse the old rusty brick flashing rather then redo the whole thing so keep that in mind if you ever get a roof put on, make sure their qoute includes full, new flashing also. I have had to do many jobs on new roofs becuase of that, some roofers have now requested that we do the flashing after they are done They always do the under shingle part, it's the counter part on the brick they skip. I can do a small flasshing job in about an hour or so but I have been doing this for almost 20 years, I can just look and know how I'm going to shape the metal at this point.

[VEFF]

Hello Veff,

Did you see the movie The Money Pit

Do you have asphalt shingles?

What about the chimney, block, brick or wood framed w/stainless steel flue? Is the chimney in the middle of the roof or on a gable end?

I doubt that you caused any damage with the rake. If the contractor sealed the flashing with a tar based sealer it probably dried out and cracked.

Yes, they are asphalt.
I'll take a photo of chimney (not even used since fireplace is a gas fireplace directly vented through the side of the house [I think]).
It appears to have a wood frame, if you mean what is framing the chimney where it meets the roof line?
I'll take a look Saturday (too late for tonight).


Yes, I was actaully thinking of that movie, but quite frankly, this house has been very good, especially considering there were 6 other bidders in the TWO DAYS it was on the market (after an unsuccessful FSBO), I can't complain.
I lowered the amount I initially considered bidding by a fair amount (was more interested in another house with absoluately nothing to renovate, but on a busy street and no privacy in back yard and less popular for families) and still got my current place.

Other than an undisclosed leaky dishwasher that cost me a total of $22 in parts (mainly needed a plastic lower door strip that was completely missing!) and only 5 minutes to fix (works pefectly now) and needing a new garage door remote ($15 shipped on ebay), it has been trouble free.
Oh, the old concrete slop sink dampness/minor leakiness, but that can be fixed cheaply and pretty easily...

I think that truly about covers it, excluding the roof (16 years old already, one layer of shingles only) issues.

[bill]

Yes, I was actaully thinking of that movie, but quite frankly, this house has been very good, especially considering there were 6 other bidders in the TWO DAYS it was on the market (after an unsuccessful FSBO), I can't complain.
I lowered the amount I initially considered bidding by a fair amount (was more interested in another house with absoluately nothing to renovate, but on a busy street and no privacy in back yard and less popular for families) and still got my current place.

Other than an undisclosed leaky dishwasher that cost me a total of $22 in parts (mainly needed a plastic lower door strip that was completely missing!) and only 5 minutes to fix (works pefectly now) and needing a new garage door remote ($15 shipped on ebay), it has been trouble free.
Oh, the old concrete slop sink dampness/minor leakiness, but that can be fixed cheaply and pretty easily...

I think that truly about covers it, excluding the roof (16 years old already, one layer of shingles only) issues.

Veff,

You're very fortunate if that's all that you had to repair since buying the house. A lot of folks around here still buy a home without hiring someone to do a presale inspection . Everything you mention is ordinary maintenance.

I was just teasing about the Money Pit, I'm a big Tom Hanks fan. That movie and The Green Mile are some my favorites. Being a contractor, I really enjoyed the Money Pit!

Knowing how careful you are, you've probably done all your research.. The only thing that I would suggest is that the roofing contractor use a good caulk like NP1 made by Sonneborn. Its a polyurethane that's sticky, remains somewhat flexible and has UV-inhibitors. Tar, latex and polyseamseal etc harden and then fail because metal, wood and masonry expand and contract at different rates...

Polyurethane caulks can be found at a masonry supply or glass shop. Glass shops use it to seal between aluminum frame windows and the masonry veneer... Its also available in different colors so you can match the mortar color.

Dartman gave a nice explanation on how to flash properly and what to look for etc. Here are some pics.

Base flashing installed and cutting in for counter or cap flashing. Notice how the base step flashing ( on the sides ) is installed under each shingle.

Chimney with cricket

Good luck!

[bill]

Yes, they are asphalt.
I'll take a photo of chimney (not even used since fireplace is a gas fireplace directly vented through the side of the house [I think]).
It appears to have a wood frame, if you mean what is framing the chimney where it meets the roof line?
I'll take a look Saturday (too late for tonight).

Ooops, I forgot.

I asked if you had a wood framed chimney because some builders are using stainless flue pipes instead of masonry chimneys to save costs. I often see the flue pipe enclosed in a wooden housing with siding applied as they exit the roof to conceal the flue pipe. Its not a real chimney but sometimes is mistakenly called a chimney and in that case the flashing detail would be different...

[VEFF]

Thanks a lot for all the tips BigMonkey!
I will print the thread.
One contractor's key guy is coming early tomorrow to look at the roof give me a repair estimate.
The other might be coming Tuesday morning - it is supposed to snow on President's Day.
I'll try to post an update tomorrow

I haven't actually done much research about chimney flashing (at least not yet).
Even if I wanted to, I have been busy with cleaining up the house (storing away personal belongings, throwing out old paperwork etc.) and furnishing the house; it finally looks cozy enough to live in most of the house and not just a few rooms.
Family came over for a celebration last night and it was nice to do one at MY place for once

Now it is just about ready to be put on the market, if I so choose.
I know the furnishings will make it more attractive to prospective buyers.
My move to another work location takes effect next month.

Yes, I didn't have to fix much.
The previous owners had put in new siding; relatively new Anderson windows throughout with only ONE exception, a new furnace and A/C compressor, new water heater, new hot tub motor and heater.
The kitchen cabinets had been upgraded, kitchen floor was in nice shape and the appliances were in very good shape; the fridge was a nice model only about a year old.
I then had a bunch of my own upgrades done (these were ALREADY factored in to my purchase price - I bought a house for a fair amount less than some others I had been looking at and mentally added in most of the upgrade costs in advance) - mainly major bathroom work, some kitchen remodeling plus driveway paving and two new windows, H/W refinishing, deck power weashing and staining, carpeting in family room, extensive painting plus alarm system and, last but not least, some carpentry work that made a BIG difference to a few parts of the house for little money.

The only remaining mostly minor, but less-than-perfect, things:
- The motion of one of the garage doors, when opening and closing it, is not very smooth (jerky motion - almost like multiple spurts actually), but I simply use the other side to park my car...

- Slop sink's minor leak (as mentioned earlier); should be easy to fix.

- Concrete under siding (back of house by family room) not in the nicest condition to say the least. But that is normal.

- Front of house has an area where a window used to be; part of it is not covered by the siding an has a plank of wood painted white covering it; had asked contractor to concrete it up - estimate was $300, but it didn't get done yet for several reasons.
I had considered putting some additional siding there instead (if can get it to interlock with the siding panels ABOVE?
It seems that it has to be done from the bottom up, in which case the last piece won't be able to interlock, unless I research siding installation - I think the prev owners left enough left-over siding in the garage to complete this.

- The roof is 16 years old; this is the ONLY major thing that I can see needing replacement in the next 3 - 4 years or so, since most everything else has been redone by them or me, except of course all the water lines...




* I did change two windows (one to a larger, and now "bay", window and another to an oval window).

[bill]

- Front of house has an area where a window used to be; part of it is not covered by the siding an has a plank of wood painted white covering it; had asked contractor to concrete it up - estimate was $300, but it didn't get done yet for several reasons.
I had considered putting some additional siding there instead (if can get it to interlock with the siding panels ABOVE?
It seems that it has to be done from the bottom up, in which case the last piece won't be able to interlock, unless I research siding installation - I think the prev owners left enough left-over siding in the garage to complete this.

Veff,

The siding patch isn't difficult. Take a look at the installation manual , pages 9 and 39.

If you want to do it yourself, allow for contraction and expansion. The link above explains it all very well.


You mentioned that you might put the house on the market. How is the market, still going bonkers? My brother in Mount Holly has accumulated enough years for a pension and I'm trying to get him to move down here. We keep telling him that the move will be good for his health. He's an Eagles fan and in a constant state of depression lately.

[VEFF]

I walked on the roof with the roofer this morning.

He is going to fix the flashing properly and thoroughly, going to replace the compromised shingles he detected in several other spots on the roof and fix the rubber gasket etc. around an outlet pipe and double check the rest of the roof.

The whole cost is $400 including materials; he normally charges $600.
This will buy at least 1 to 2 years for the problem areas, which is about what the entire roof has left.
He is coming tomorrow morning to do the job, so I can get it over with before the next bad weather.

He pointed out a bunch of things (I walked up there with him at his request), including two things the inspector had said.
A new Ridgeline ($30) roof (additional layer of shingles only since there is only 1 layer right now, thankfully) would run $3,000 since it isn't a very big roof; not small either though.

Since I may put it the house on the market soon due to relocation, I don't feel like investing another $3,000 (+ $180 tax?) at this point for something that won't really make any noticeable difference aesthetically.

However, the $400 will prevent any potentially imminent damage to the house (i.e. ceilings and walls) during heavy spring rain storms etc. in case the chimney flashing (not done properly) gets worse or the compromised [worn] tiles get worse.
I don't want to attempt it myself and end up with far bigger problems. Not going to be pennywise but pound foolish with respect to this.

Thanks for all the feedback!

I am going to buy a 9X9 (is that the std size?) chimney cap at HD or Lowes today, which he will install at the same time.
Last time I tried an HD location the caps were nowhere to be found.

He told me tons of people had ice damming problems this winter
for which they got a ton of calls.
I was lucky that I didn't have any such problem (I did rake the roof on the half of the backside of the roof that I could reach, after the blizzard, which didn't hurt).
I am sure that call would have cost me a bundle.
Spending $400 on this isn't that bad, especially considering that I got the house for a very good price despite 7 offers in two days.

Regardless it needs to be done and I don't feel like experimenting with chimney flashing repair, shingle removal and other thingts he will do (we get a lot of rain around here) to save $400.
I saved a lot more by removing the carpet everywhere and tack strips prior to hardwood refinishing, painting some bedrooms and the garage and laundry room myself, tiling the laundry room myself, painting the concrete slop sink, replacin light switches with dimmers, shopping around for a good deal on hardwood refinishing and driveway paving, which saved me a BUNDLE.
The roof repairs (plural; i.e. it isn't just the flashing) are not something I want to attempt myself...

[VEFF]

- Front of house has an area where a window used to be; part of it is not covered by the siding an has a plank of wood painted white covering it; had asked contractor to concrete it up - estimate was $300, but it didn't get done yet for several reasons.
I had considered putting some additional siding there instead (if can get it to interlock with the siding panels ABOVE?
It seems that it has to be done from the bottom up, in which case the last piece won't be able to interlock, unless I research siding installation - I think the prev owners left enough left-over siding in the garage to complete this.

Veff,

The siding patch isn't difficult. Take a look at the installation manual , pages 9 and 39.

If you want to do it yourself, allow for contraction and expansion. The link above explains it all very well.


You mentioned that you might put the house on the market. How is the market, still going bonkers? My brother in Mount Holly has accumulated enough years for a pension and I'm trying to get him to move down here. We keep telling him that the move will be good for his health. He's an Eagles fan and in a constant state of depression lately.

Thanks BigMonkey; I'll check the siding patch out this weekend, if possible.
I need to first get a dimmer for dining room hanging chandelier that I just installed and get some shades.
Also going to buy a chimney cap later today for when the roofer comes tomorrow (see post directly above)

About the Eagles comment.

The market isn't going bonkers anymore like it was a year ago, BUT it certainly hasn't gotten worse yet either (NYC suburbs).
Prices have gone up around here since I bought it appears - hard to find exact comparables sometimes when there aren't that many on the market, plus you have to go by actual sale prices of course anyway.

Then again spring hasn't started and mortgage rates are still lower than everyone expected.
Many potential buyers already jumped in to try to beat a rise in long term rates that still hasn't really happened, so there likely won't be as mad a rush as a year or so ago.

DISCLAIMER TO ALL: I am not a real estate professional and my market observations are purely that - observations.
I do NOT claim to know which direction home prices will go for any given period of time.

[VEFF]

PS: The siding does get pushed UP, so I am in luck it appears.

Just going to check what kind of tools it requires (to create a temporary gap etc. when sliding in pieces from underneath).
I also need to check whether it requires any fasteners (nails; special poprietary siding fasteners etc.) or whether just sliding it underneath the piece directly above it creates a lock in itself???

Thanks again BigMonkey!
I presume you are a DIY guy for most things around the house?
I am somewhere in the middle myself...

Tell your brother that at least the Eagles made it to the big game...
I would rather my team made it and lost than didn't even get to the Superbowl.
Maybe that will make him feel a BIT better

[bill]

PS: The siding does get pushed UP, so I am in luck it appears.

Just going to check what kind of tools it requires (to create a temporary gap etc. when sliding in pieces from underneath).
I also need to check whether it requires any fasteners (nails; special poprietary siding fasteners etc.) or whether just sliding it underneath the piece directly above it creates a lock in itself???

You probably already noticed that the top nail flange has a large slot. Two inch roofing nails work fine for that because they have a larger head than commons...

Materials required; tar paper, unlocking tool and 2" galvanized roofing nails.

Take a look at figure 37 on page 23 of the PDF. You may need to trim off a portion of that little hem ( the 3/8"tall vertical leg ) on the bottom of the siding. That should give the clearance you need at the end splice and allow the bottom hem to lock into the nail flange.


Thanks for your thoughts on the housing market. It's been about the same here in Virginia so there won't be any bargains for my brother. This past December my partners and I got together to decide if we wanted to maintain or expand our little construction company. We all decided to leave well enough alone because the housing market has had such a long run. The commercial property market has also been hot. The bad part, companies are moving to new buildings only to leave the old buildings vacant. I hope the economy holds up so everyone can make their loan payments.

Good luck with the roof today.

[VEFF]

Thanks BigMonkey, especially for the siding tips and info - that would be my last project.
You're welcome about the housing market comments!

The roofing guy came today.
The bad news is that he didn't install a flashing, because the chimney never had one, and it would have cost (a lot?) more.
I had maybe slightly misunderstood.
He used Karnack Roofing Cement (red and yellow can) and, for strength, wrapped a "sheet" (can't think of the right term) around it.

The good news is that he fixed several areas of the roof with a bunch of new shingles.
He also put pipe collars around two tubes (both rubber gaskets had deteriorated, in one case an entire piece was missing and the sheeting was nailed down with one nail instead of four.
He also found (small) holes where the siding people (brand new siding done by previous owners) had hooked their scaffold up to the roof for support.
They had plugged two holes but forgotten the other two.
He also spray painted the two pipes and a kitchen exhaust and removed the flag pole and hooked up the chimney cap I bought at Lowes (just a few screws) while he was up there.
He used roofing cement AND netting to hold it better.

He indicated this is temporary (will prevent leaks around chimney for about 2 years and provide the same protection for other areas where he placed new shingles).
He stated that when I get a new roof (about 2 years from now; it is the only old thing remaining on the house luckily) to make sure they install flashing (and counterflashing I guess too).
In other words I, if I am still there, will have a roofing contractor do the entire roof and flashing in one job.
I should also monitor it, especially in spring which is the worst time for rain.
The fact that we had a lot of rain (i.e. some big rain storms) since I moved in last summer with no damage and that he went over the entire roof today and fixed the problem areas, leads me to think I won't have any issues for the next 18 months or so.
If I DO decide to keep the house, I will get the roof done within a year to be safe.
Fortunately since it only has ONE layer of shingles, the new shingles can be applied directly on top, saving the removal costs.
Total estimate about $3,000.

He spent over 2 hours and the price included all materials too.
$440 (no tax) as opposed to $400 due to an extra $40 for the extra pipe collar ($10) and work on that part; he hadn't noticed it yesterday. I am glad he saw it, because it would have been a shame to have all the work done and one small area go unnoticed.
He checked entire roof and fixed the areas that were in need of repair.

He pointed out yesterday how the overlap was far too little and that the chimney taring and semi-flashing (whatever that silver stuff was) was done badly in terms of gaps being left where the water could enter.

He did a great job with GAF tiles and just in time for the snowstorm (6 - 8 inches) tonight and rain tomorrow.
The inside of the house had not suffered any damage, so I am glad I caught it in time.
I should note that the chimney is in the center of the roof, so unlike many house, this needed protection on all 4 sides.
Everything looks much better due to spray painting and him making the
black line on the chimney straight and such that it evenly covered the chimney.

All in all I am very happy (he did everything properly/ thoroughly) and will have peace of mind.
Better to be wise and spend some money now, as opposed to getting major water damage later and ending up with a MUCH bigger bill later - I wouldn't feel comfortable trying to replace all those shingles myself and trying to figure out WHERE (in which spots) they needed replacing in the first place.

Thanks again for all the tips!

[VEFF]

I hope the following potential lack ofd recommended drying time isn't a problem, especally for the longer term (this is a relative term since it was only a 2 year fix):

The snow started early (at 9 PM); about 8 1/2 hours after he finished putting the roofing cement around the chimney.
As of yesterday the snow wasn't supposed to start till Monday!!!!!!!!!

I will have to check around to see what the drying time is:
I have a feeling the one he used takes 24 - 48 hours (if I remember the color of the can properly. I found it when searching online, since I recognized the breand name - Karnack http://www.karnakcorp.com/Product_Data_PDF/19.pdf); what a PITA!
I was so happy this afternoon that it was over and done with...

There are also ones that can be applied in wet or dry weather, but I don't think he used one of those...

I may have to ask if he can come back during the week now...He may claim it is fine though...

From the FAQ:
Q: What is the dry or cure time for Karnak products?
A: The dry or cure time for Karnak products depends on the specific product used and the outside ambient temperature. For the most part, Karnak brush or spray grade coatings will dry in 24 hours. Karnak flashing cements and mastics, will "skin" over in 24 hours, but take longer to fully dry because they are applied at a heavier rate than spray or brush grade coatings.

Bad luck!

EDIT 02/21 I called the roofer today to ask about the snow 8 1/2hours after application. I expressed my concern.
He said it was already watertight upon application.
He didn't hesitate one bit when answering (as people do when they're lieing), so I feel a lot more comfortable than last night.
I will nevertheless monitor it anyway...

When it gets dry, maybe I'll carefully go up there to check on the condition.

[VEFF]

We had about 3 inches of rain yesterday!
It is still raining constantly today, but not as hard thankfully.

The good news:
- My house does NOT have a basement to get flooded / wet when the ground
gets soaked
- It is not in a flood plain
- The property is sloped such that only the very back and outermost section at the sides of backyard get some puddles (nothing major, especially compared to one of the neighbors, where it is also the back of his backyard that gets affected)

The bad news:
- It doesn't have a basement for the water to flow down to; therefore the water heater (luckily only 2 years old) in the laundry room which is directly adjacent to the family room could cause damage.
- The main roof repair (i.e. the part that consisted of sealing the chimney base with roofing cement and fabric to strengthen the sealant) that was done at the end of Feb didn't work properly The wooden beam directly up against the side of the chimney where the roof meets the chimney is very damp / wet.
Luckily the water is not dripping or leaking anywhere.

I just called the roofing company / contractor and they will stop by Monday or Tuesday to look at it.

I can't complain since areas in one town in the county and other areas in another nearby county have major flooding.
Seeing peoples streets turned into small rivers / lakes is never good.
Anyone in those areas with a basement is going to have major clean-up and other water-related issues (mold?)
I just hope their main floors didn't get water damage.

My chimney problem is more of a nuisance since I have to have them come out again (not much of a deal as long as they come when promised and fix it right this time) and, worse, I specifically paid to get the chimney area sealed and he assured me it wouldn't leak.

[VEFF]

Well he's coming tomorrow.

He said it wasn't done properly initially (i.e before I got the place) - should have had counter flashing etc.
He said he had tried to do it cheaply (just roofing cement; to save me money).
He said to do the flashing and/or counter-flashing would cost ($300 - $400? I don't remember the amount because I already invested $440.
If I needed to pay another $400 on top of the $440, I might as well have had the whole thing redone for $2,000 in the first place and use that ("new roof") as another selling point.
Keep in mind that the $440 also included other repairs on the roof some a bunch of new shingles in at least two (or three) different locations and replacing two pipe collars and sealing those.
Unfortunately what he told me is nothing new; I knew that, BUT he also told at the time that this was a temporary measure, but that it would NOT leak and should last up to two years.
This was to "buy me time" (in hos own words).
I wanted time in case I decide to sell the house.
If I keep it, I will get a package price (get flashing built into quote) to redo the entire roof, since I have known that it will need a new roof anyway in a couple of years...

Why pay to do the flashing twice, unless it can be left intact when they put a new layer of shingles on?

Well, we shall see.

He is coming by early tomorrow to check it out and to see if he can make the roofing cement layer very thick (and use fabric again for added strength).
If not, I will nicely ask him to do the flashing and subtract from that the charge from the chimney roofing cement work from last time since that didn't work when he told me it would...

I am happy that they were responsive (only called them this morning)
and that the guy tried to save me money.
However, I don't want to double pay for the chimney work so-to-speak...

[bill]

We had about 3 inches of rain yesterday!

The wooden beam directly up against the side of the chimney where the roof meets the chimney is very damp / wet.

Bummer

If the repair still looks ok, you might have had two problems last winter. Dartman mentioned that the chimney can sometimes wick moisture... Is the chimney damp on more than one side?

[VEFF]

Quick reply, since I have to finish getting ready for work.

Yes, the outside of the chimney is damp on the side in several places.
We (the roofer and I) noticed a bunch of small cracks on the outside of the chimney.
Also in between a few tiles there were some tiny cracks (only visible up very very close).

He sealed the chimney with a special gel / silicone for cement (such as chimneys e.g.
I hope he didn't miss a few spots - I was under the weather and it was very early, so I didn't climb up on the roof a 2nd time. I watched him from the front yard for the front and from the deck for the back.

He said to call him if it continues, but I may need a mason to recement the chimney.
He said they had a similar situation once and they checked everywhere and it turned out to be the chimney that was at fault.

The good news:
- He did his job well last time:
a) The roofing cement looks solid still - no gaps or breaks.
It is a thick layer. (I wonder whether it was the chimney cement all
along; maybe the previous owner did a better job than I thought,
after the inspection, with the chimney base).
b) The roof's tiles are holding up. The other spot he fixed looks good.
- The chimney is small and re-cementing isn't expensive, if it is required.
- The wooden beam that had been wet / very damp (one of four) by the chimney is already much drier (basically dry now) and is NOT rotten or deteriorated, so it is doing its support job and will last some time.
(Also note that there were no signs of wetness dampness elsewhere by the chimney, as there had been last time).
- I saw some shinyness (is this a word? if so, sp? shininess?) at the very edge of the roof at one corner of the house. I had been slightly concerned about what this was the last few weeks since I hadn't seen / noticed it before. It turns out this is a metal strip that protrudes under the last set of tiles to reach the gutter.

I did pay him $50 (I had said if he needed to charge me a little extra for the sealing...); I think he could have done it free or charged $25 since it was only a matter of minutes.
HOWEVER, it was worth it.
I now have peace of mind, knowing that the roof is fine (tiles and roofing cement + fabric combo around chimney) and if the dampness continues (probably only after relatively heavy rain), it means it is the chimney cement itself (remember tyhe chimney is 40 + years old.
I also appreciate the quality of the work he did, his friendliness, the VERY quick service both times he came and his honesty (he pointed out a lot of things that I have read about and that the inspector had mentioned about venting and roof tile quality etc. - he used 30 year GAF tiles for his repairs by the way).

I am now confident that I can safely keep the current roof (monitoring it of course) for one or two more years, in case I decide to sell.
I didn't note any other problem areas, even though we had 3 inches of rain on Saturday.

Well, now I really have to go. (Actually it is good that I am leaving later, since I need to play around with the commute times, so I can let my boss know what my flex hours will be - to avoid rush hour traffic if I want).
Was going to write a one liner and update the post later...
I also work from home a few days a week now, so the new location isn't so bad.

[VEFF]

Quick update:
It rained and thundered last night; I went to bed early, so I don't know how heavy it was.

I checked the wooden beam up against the chimney early this morning when I woke up and it was dry.

I believe the chimney sealing (he just used cement sealant; the tube looks like GE silicone) on Monday did the trick, although, like I said, I don't know how long the rain lasted and how heavy it was.

EDIT: Just found out that it rained hard, so it seems the problem is fixed.


Not bad considering the horror stories I have read about people with major problems with new houses or people who have replaced entire roof and other components out of frustration.
One guy knew most of his local roofers on a first name basis and spent a small fortune trying to get a leak diagnosed and fixed.