If there's one detail that causes more storm-related leaks than any other across Redfield's roofs, it's chimney flashing. The junction between a chimney stack and the surrounding roof covering is inherently complex — two different materials meeting at an angle, needing to stay watertight despite constant minor movement and, in a storm, some fairly serious wind pressure. Lead flashing bridges that gap, but it isn't invincible, and age combined with severe weather is a common recipe for failure. It's worth knowing this before storm season arrives, since a chimney with older flashing is statistically more likely to be the source of any future leak than the open roof slope around it.
Wind attacks flashing in a few characteristic ways. It can lift an edge that has come slightly loose from ageing mortar or pointing, and once that edge is disturbed, subsequent gusts tend to make the gap worse rather than better. Repeated flexing during a storm can also fatigue lead that's already thinned by age or previous repairs, sometimes opening small splits without any single dramatic tearing moment. Many Redfield terraces still have their original flashing, or flashing installed decades ago, which means age alone can leave it vulnerable even before a particularly severe storm arrives.
The frustrating part for homeowners is that chimney flashing failures rarely announce themselves clearly. There's no obvious visible gap from the ground in most cases — the first sign is usually a damp patch on a ceiling or a stain down a chimney breast, appearing well after the storm that actually caused the damage. By the time it's noticed, the leak may have been slowly worsening for some time.
Diagnosing a flashing failure properly requires getting close to the chimney rather than assessing from indoors or ground level. A roofer checking flashing will look for lifted edges, cracked or missing pointing around the joint, and signs that water has been tracking beneath the flashing rather than being shed away from it as intended. This kind of close inspection is really the only reliable way to confirm flashing is the cause, rather than guessing based on where a ceiling stain happens to be.
Repair generally involves removing the damaged section, re-dressing new flashing properly into the joint, and repointing where the mortar bed has deteriorated. Done well, this should resolve the leak completely rather than just reducing it, which is worth bearing in mind if a previous repair hasn't fully solved the problem. If a leak keeps returning after being treated, it's often a sign that the previous fix addressed the symptom rather than the underlying flashing fault.
Brunel Roofing Bristol carries out emergency chimney flashing repairs across Redfield, with 24-hour call-out, free inspections, and a 15-year guarantee on completed work. We're happy to have a look even if you're not entirely sure the chimney is to blame — establishing that clearly is part of what a proper inspection is for.
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