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Where the roof meets the brick, the wall and the vent pipe

Chimney Flashing Repair in Lincoln Park, NJ

Flashing is the sheet metal worked in where shingles end against a chimney, a side wall or a plumbing vent. Dial (862) 972-4008 when a stain sits beside the chimney, and say which side of it the water shows on.

Call (862) 972-4008

Roofer in a knit cap fitting metal flashing against a brick chimney
Lincoln Park roofer kneeling on a gray roof, hammer in hand, split-levels behind

Have this ready

Which side of the chimney?

Stand in the yard and photograph the chimney from two sides. Inside, note whether the stain is on the side nearest the chimney, above it or below it, and whether it shows in gentle rain or only in wind-driven rain. Mark the date.

Then call (862) 972-4008. The side of the stain helps the roofer decide where to look first.

Call (862) 972-4008

Repair or replace?

Reseal, replace the metal or rebuild the joint

A hairline gap in sealant is a reseal. Metal that has rusted through or pulled away is replaced. If the roof is being redone anyway, renewing the flashing along with it keeps old metal from sitting under new shingles. Cracked brick or mortar belongs to a mason, whose work and the roofer's meet at the flashing.

A quote that lists those as separate lines is easier to compare.

Stop here if you see any of this

  1. Smoke or a gas smell near the chimney, with or without a leak: leave the house and call 911.
  2. Bricks are loose, leaning or dropping from the chimney: keep everyone clear of the base and dial 911 if it looks about to fall.
  3. Water reaches a ceiling light or an outlet beside the chimney wall: step out of that room and phone 911 from a dry hallway or the yard.
  4. A ladder would lean against the chimney or stand near a power line: do not climb. NIOSH says to stay 10 feet from lines.

On the roof and in the attic

  1. Dial (862) 972-4008, give the address, the side of the chimney where the stain sits and your number out of ten. A photo of the chimney from the yard helps.
  2. The roofer looks at the metal on all four sides: at the base, up the sides and along the top edge where it meets the brick.
  3. Sealant lines and brick joints get checked for cracks. Masonry repair is a mason's job and gets named as such.
  4. In the attic, the roofer checks the wood around the chimney for stains and the insulation for damp.
  5. Resealing, replacing the metal and full re-flashing show up as separate options on the quote.
  6. Ask what metal is going in and how it will be fastened and sealed.
Small blue tarp nailed flat over a damaged patch mid-slope

The parts in play

Base, sides and top: the metal around a chimney

Water meets a chimney from above and from both sides. Metal at the base turns water to the sides, metal up each side overlaps the shingles in steps, and the top edge is tucked into the brick or covered by a cap. FEMA's shingle-roof fact sheet also names roof-to-wall flashing, the same idea applied where a slope ends at a wall.

The asphalt roofing trade group ranks flashings among the weakest points, which is why a roofer checks them even when the shingles look fine.

Around Lincoln Park

  • The Building America ice dam guide asks for self-adhering membrane at chimneys as well as valleys and dormers, which says something about how often water collects where a chimney meets a roof.
  • Chimney work can cross a line that the roofing rules draw. New Jersey's ordinary-maintenance rule excludes any work affecting structural or fire safety, so brick repair or a rebuilt chimney is a question for the construction office.
  • An estimated 519 Lincoln Park homes, give or take 199, date from 1939 or earlier (Census, 2020-2024), and the oldest chimneys have had the most winters to work on the joint with the roof.

Why it happens

  • Sealant that cracked or shrank, leaving a gap the metal no longer covers
  • Metal that pulled loose or rusted, so water runs behind it
  • Wind: the asphalt roofing trade group lists flashings among the weakest points of a roof
  • Old flashing reused, or skipped, when the roof was last redone
  • Chimney masonry that has cracked or shifted, which opens the joint with the roof

What you may notice

  • A ceiling or wall stain close to the chimney breast
  • Gaps or cracked sealant along the metal at the base of the chimney
  • Rust streaks or lifted metal at a wall-to-roof joint
  • Damp wood or insulation in the attic around the chimney framing
  • Water that appears only during storms with strong wind

The paperwork side

Where chimney work meets the building code

The state's alert covers roof covering on detached one- or two-family homes and does not name flashing, so ask the construction office how it treats a flashing-only job. The rule's text also excludes anything touching structural or fire safety, and masonry repair can land in that category. The offices are on the checks page.

Pages behind these notes 7

Checked 1 Nov 2026

Call (862) 972-4008