LESLIE: Jack in Nevada, you’re on the line. And you listen on KBZZ. What can we do for you today?
JACK: My chimney (inaudible) goes out to the roof and whenever the rain hits it, it comes down inside.
TOM: Inside. OK, do you have a cap on the chimney?
JACK: Yes.
TOM: Have you examined the crown of the chimney; the concrete crown between the liner and the outside of the chimney from the top?
JACK: Got no concrete. From a gas stove? Furnace?
TOM: It’s a metal vent pipe?
JACK: Yes, sir.
TOM: If it’s leaking at the base, then you probably need to replace the flashing and that’s usually built in to a metal chimney. That’s very often called a B vent. It’s a double-lined, metal vent made out of stainless. And there’s a flashing component to that that will seal against the chimney and put under the shingle. And I suspect that the flashing is breaking down if it’s leaking. You can try to tar it but that usually is very short-lived. The best thing to do is to disassemble the chimney because it’s usually built in sections and slip over a new piece of chimney flashing. It’s built right into the vent itself. It goes up under the shingles and allows the water to roll over that and then around the chimney and it won’t leak again.
TOM: Alright, Jack. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
Leave a Reply