Emergency Chimney Flashing Repair Stops Active Interior Leak
The Challenge
A Berkeley homeowner called during a heavy January storm reporting water actively running down the interior of their living room wall adjacent to the fireplace. The 1940s chimney had its original lead flashing, which had separated from the mortar joints over decades of thermal expansion. A previous contractor had applied roofing tar as a bandage fix, which had also failed. Water had been penetrating for at least two seasons, causing damp drywall and early-stage mold growth on the interior wall.
Our Solution
Our emergency crew arrived within 3 hours. We applied emergency tarping to stop immediate water intrusion, then on a dry day completed a full chimney reflashing: removing all old lead and tar-based flashing, cutting new step flashing channels into the brick mortar joints, and installing custom-bent copper step and counter flashing with appropriate sealant. We also repointed the deteriorated mortar around the chimney crown and applied a breathable chimney waterproofing sealer.
The Result
The emergency tarp stopped interior damage immediately. The permanent copper flashing installation was completed within 5 days of initial call. The homeowner also avoided a costly interior remediation — our early intervention prevented full mold colonization. The copper flashing is expected to last 50+ years.
Project Details
- Project Type
- Emergency Repair
- Location
- Berkeley
- Duration
- 1 day (permanent repair)
- Materials Used
- Copper step flashing, chimney crown mortar, waterproofing sealer
- Year Completed
- 2024
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