Chimney Flashing Repair in Sierra Madre: Written Report, Licensed Technicians

Pasadena's Craftsman bungalows and Period Revival homes built between 1905 and 1935 present a flashing problem that newer construction doesn't. The original chimneys were built with clinker brick, irregular mortar joints, and steep roof pitches that don't accept modern flashing profiles cleanly. When homeowners in La Cañada Flintridge or Montrose invest in fireplace restoration or a Craftsman-era remodel, the contractor often re-points the firebox and mantel but leaves the existing step flashing buried under three layers of roofing material. That buried flashing corrodes unseen. By the time the first heavy November rain hits, water follows the old galvanized steel straight into the ceiling joists. We've pulled step flashing off 1920s Pasadena chimneys that had rusted through in under four years because nobody addressed it during the remodel.

The pattern repeats in Glendale's older hillside neighborhoods, where Craftsman and early Tudor homes sit on slopes that funnel rainwater toward the chimney's uphill face. Without a properly sized cricket diverting water around the chimney, standing water pools behind the masonry during even moderate storms. Typical damage we measure: moisture readings above 25% inside the chase wall within two rain seasons, and visible efflorescence on the interior brick within three. A fireplace remodel that skips flashing replacement is a remodel with a built-in leak. The cost of tearing out new finish work to fix water damage six months later usually exceeds what correct flashing would have added to the original project.

Our flashing repair process starts with a Level 2 inspection, which includes a camera scan of the flue interior and a full assessment of the chimney's exterior condition from cap to roofline. We document the existing flashing type, measure mortar joint depth on the original Craftsman brick, and check for earthquake micro-cracking that could compromise any new counter flashing installation. For Pasadena and La Cañada Flintridge homes, we specify lead counter flashing rather than aluminum. Lead conforms to the irregular mortar joints on hand-laid clinker brick without gapping, and it outlasts aluminum by decades in our dry-to-wet seasonal cycle. Each piece of step flashing is individually bent and lapped to match the actual roof pitch, not pulled from a generic size bin.

When the chimney sits on the downhill slope or has a width greater than 30 inches, we install a cricket behind the chimney to redirect water before it pools. The cricket gets its own soldered flashing apron tied into the step flashing on both sides. We seal counter flashing reglets with a polyurethane sealant rated for masonry, not the silicone caulk that dries out within two Southern California summers. Every repair is photographed and documented against NFPA 211 standards so your records are clean if you sell the home or pull permits for future work. If the underlying masonry needs repointing before flashing can hold, we handle that too. Contact us to schedule your inspection before the rain season starts, typically late October in the foothills around Montrose and Glendale.