What is Chimney Flashing?

While a copper chimney cap may be a distinctive feature shining at the top of the home, chimney flashing is an essential but sometimes overlooked component of the chimney system. However, its condition impacts the safety of a home’s inhabitants and the state of the roof, chimney and more. When considering chimney flashing, people are often interested in learning about the following:

• The purpose of chimney flashing
• Maintaining chimney flashing
• Dangers of damaged chimney flashing

Keep reading to learn more about what chimney flashing does for your home, as well as how chimney inspections and maintenance from Spotless Chimney can help protect your household.

What is the Purpose of Chimney Flashing?

Chimney flashing is designed to cover the area where the chimney and the roof meet. In doing so, it protects not only the chimney and the roof but also the interior spaces of a building from water damage and other complications. Different types of flashing material are available, such as lead or copper. Both the choice of material and design of the flashing depend on various factors, such as climate, chimney size and steepness or type of roof.

How to Maintain Chimney Flashing?

Whether you’ve selected copper chimney flashing for its appearance and durability or chosen other chimney flashing, regular chimney inspections and maintenance support its intended function as protection for your home and loved ones. While it’s helpful for homeowners to monitor their chimney systems, chimney flashing isn’t typically as easy to see or access as other components may be. During professional inspections, the qualified chimney professionals near you can perform a more thorough assessment of both the interior and the exterior of the chimney system, depending on the available inspection level. At Spotless Chimney, our team performs Level 2 inspections to help ensure your chimney system’s suitability for use. This level of inspection is more comprehensive and uses video to examine the interior of the chimney. This inspection also includes assessment of places like attics and crawl spaces, which can be areas impacted by leaks due to damaged chimney flashing.

Additionally, regular chimney maintenance helps reduce the potential for more extensive and costly damage. Inspections may reveal any repairs that need to be made, such as the replacement of corroded flashing or the reinforcing of copper flashing that may have become loose. Chimney flashing maintenance may also include removing debris and/or addressing any mortar joint concerns via chimney repointing.

What are the Consequences of Damaged Chimney Flashing?

Since chimney flashing provides vital protective care for your home, any damage or deterioration may jeopardize the structural components of the home as well as its inhabitants. While a few crumbling bricks or a small spot on the ceiling may seem like a surface issue, they can actually be pathways to or indicative of more serious and often costly problems. Here are 4 potential dangers of damaged chimney flashing that ongoing chimney inspections and maintenance help to prevent:

• Structural Damage: The chimney flashing is designed to prevent moisture from seeping into the home. If this flashing is compromised, then everything from the chimney and roofing materials to the beams and walls of the home may be exposed to water leaks. Whether in relation to the chimney flashing or other parts of the chimney system, chimney leaks can do serious damage, so it’s best to prevent them and address them as soon as possible if detected.
• Chimney Liner Damage: Problems with chimney flashing may also cause other issues with chimney operation. For example, water exposure can create cracks in chimney liners. Damage to these liners increases the risks of fire and exposure to dangerous gases, such as carbon monoxide.
• Stained Ceilings and Walls: A quick touch-up with paint isn’t going to solve the underlying issues that stains on ceilings or walls may indicate. From chimney flashing repair to a chimney rebuild, these signs point to issues of structural integrity as well as surface impacts.
• Mold and Mildew: A potentially hidden issue that can arise from damaged chimney flashing, the presence of mold and mildew can emerge wherever the conditions are right for growth. As shared by WebMD, mold can irritate eyes and skin. Breathing issues can also arise, especially for individuals with existing respiratory concerns.

While relaxing in front of the fireplace or enjoying the warmth of your wood stove, it’s easy to simply appreciate these features for the experiences that they provide. However, whether they are in use or not, the chimney flashing needs to endure and provide protection against the elements. Contact Spotless Chimney today with any questions about your chimney flashing or to schedule an appointment for a chimney service!