been in this house 2 years now. Has a beautiful and very large brick chimney dropping right down in the great room. 8’x4’ with a 4’x3’ fireplace opening. Only problem... it leaks like crazy. I’m shocked that the house inspector didn’t catch that. Had a quote from a chimney sweep to waterproof treat the brick and seal up mortar cracks for $3,000. I’m doing it myself for $450... here’s how.....
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Fixing a leaking brick chimney
- Thread starter Quacker
- Start date
Got the furring strips up today and the hardie trim boards. Just need to put up the hardie siding. I had a local metal roof company build a 2 piece custom chase cover that will go over the crown and cover the edges of the siding. Should be g2g
Is the leak at the front corners
I have a rock chimney. It was not flashed properly. . I stepped flashed it, then cut a deep groove in the rock with a large angle grinder and reversed flashed it. Also have a cap on chimney with a drip edge
This flashing is done properly. Folded into the score line. There is efflorescence salt deposits on the indoor side of the chimney. That tells me water has been sleeping through the brick and mortar for years carrying the calcium salts with it. It’s a 40 year old chimney and from all the silicone in the joints above the roof line I can tell they have been fighting this leak for a long time
I fought the same thing. Cutting a grove and tucking the flashing in deeper solved the problem. I observed some old log cabins with rock chimneys. They are stepped flashed with it being done when the rock is laid. Rock masons use a very coarse mortar with a lot of sand in it so water penetrates it . I got flashing tucked in a couple inches then sealed with urethane caulk. Good luck, leaks can drive you crazy
