COMMUNITY FORUM

Forum >
Roofing & Siding >
Help. Not sure were problem is !

08:29AM | 01/27/04

Member Since: 04/27/03
13 lifetime posts

Help. Not sure were problem is !

Hi,
Here is my situation. I have soft plywood in my attic around my chimney. Meaning when it rains the plywood near the sides of the chimney are wet and are starting to rot. Now I have had a friend who is a home inspector say it could be the flashing on the chimney or water leaking behind the stucco on the chimney and that is how the wood is getting wet. I have had stucco people and roofing people come and say they both need to be replaced at a cost of 3K! I know the stucco is bad and is flaking off in parts so the stucco needs to be redone. My question is how can I tell if my flashing really needs to be replaced? I have had 3 estimates to redo my flashing at a cost of $600! I would really like to know how I can determine if my water leak is stucco related or flashing related. Any help would greatly be appreciated.

Thank You,
Dean

pgriz

04:11PM | 01/27/04

Member Since: 01/21/03
67 lifetime posts

The simplest way to find a leak is to do a water test. One person gets into the attic near the place where the suspected leak is. A helper goes onto the roof (in a safe manner of course) with a hose and starts to water the suspected area. Since with leaks it is common to have the water come in at one point, but show up in another, you have to water the suspected area in a systematic manner, starting from below the area which is suspect, and then going from side to side. Since water can take time getting into the leaking area you need to water each area for about 30 seconds or more before moving on. Once you've located the area which is letting in the water, you continue checking other places further up as well.

In your situation, it is common to see rotten wood near the chimney if the chimney flashing is no longer properly sealed against the chimney. If that is the case, the flashing must be removed, the rotten wood replaced, and the chimney must be checked for cracks that also can be letting in water. A well constructed chimney flashing would be of two parts: the flashing at the chimney base, and a counterflashing protecting the flashing joint, but physically separate. The $600 estimate to redo the flashing does not seem out of line. However, it's hard to tell if the prices you've been quoted are reasonable without seeing the installation, and knowing exactly what the scope of work being quoted is.

retisin

05:33PM | 01/28/04

Member Since: 05/19/03
457 lifetime posts

Im wondering why you are paying to get estimates,unless you mean the $600.00 is the cost to fix the problem.

dp149

04:14AM | 01/29/04

Member Since: 04/27/03
13 lifetime posts

Hi,
No the lowest cost estimate to redo the flashing has been $600. the Highest has been $980. I guess to be safe I should just have it all done (stucco/flashing) since I am unsure.

Thanks for your help.
Dean

retisin

09:01AM | 01/29/04

Member Since: 05/19/03
457 lifetime posts

Hey Dean what pgriz is saying is a sure fire way to see where and what is happening.