Guide
Chimney crickets and flashing on pre-war Bergen County homes
Written by Ultra Power Construction. The credentials page states that this contractor is licensed and insured in New Jersey and lists GAF and Owens Corning programs. Updated 2026-09-27.
Pre-war chimneys in Ridgewood, Tenafly, and on Englewood’s east hill leak at the joint between masonry and roof. The brick can be sound while the flashing is not. This is roof flashing work, not a claim that we rebuild every chimney.
- Step flashing and counterflashing
- Crickets
- When the masonry is the problem
Step flashing and counterflashing
Step flashing weaves with each shingle course and turns up the chimney. Counterflashing covers that turn and is set into the mortar. A single piece of metal face-nailed to the brick and gooped at the edge will open up.
Crickets
If the chimney is wide along the slope, water needs a cricket on the uphill side. Without it, debris and ice sit on the apron. The cricket is framed and shingled or metal-covered. It is not a bead of cement.
When the masonry is the problem
Cracked crowns, open mortar, and a flue liner are masonry repairs. Flashing will not stop water that enters above the roofline and runs down inside the chase. Say which problem you are pricing.