How To Do It: Flashing Brick Chimneys

While the term "flashing brick chimneys" may sound like a way to light up your home for the holidays, in actuality, chimney flashing is a way to help better seal your chimney. If you are concerned about the effects of the environmental elements on your chimney and roof, then flashing brick chimneys may be a smart step for you and your home. Flashing brick chimneys can protect your chimney against water damage, dirt, and debris. If the flashing is done correctly, it can even allow for some essential movement between the chimney and the roof.

Brick chimneys are notoriously hard to install with flashing; but that's not to say that flashing brick chimneys is impossible. The first thing you will need to do is install the face flashing, which will go on the lower part of the chimney. This flashing will be wrapped around the sides of the chimney as well.

Flashing Brick Chimneys

The next step is the step flashing. This bends around each side of the chimney as well and is then covered with a cap or with counter flashing. The counter flashing should be set in the mortar at the joints of the chimney and then bent on the sides of the chimney as well. If the counter flashing is set into a reglet, you only have to use one piece of counter flashing. However, if you decide to step the flashing down the sides of the chimney you will need more than one piece.

So now that the process of flashing brick chimneys has been addressed, now it is time to really understand why flashing is so important. Flashing brick chimneys is primarily a way to create a protective barrier at the joint between the chimney and the roof so water, dirt and debris doesn't get into the roof and cause erosion or rot. But if you properly install it, flashing brick chimneys can also provide a way for the roof and chimney to move slightly without damaging each other. The pieces of flashing move over one another so there is no scraping or abrasion to either the roof or chimney.