Is the leak the fireplace or the roof??

[Highbeam]

Yeah amish and mennonite generally do work cheap. But like all contractors there are good ones and there are bad ones. And the good ones usually cost more. We have a mennonite chimney guy near us. He is really cheap. But he drops unlisted un insulated liners and doesnt clean the chimney first. So yes he is cheaper but he is using cheaper materials and doing half the work.

We do have people who do great work for very reasonable prices here in Pa ,the amish. I dont think i could find anyone to do that Job for $500. Perhaps tear down the chimney but not he rest of it. Most of the contracters wont even come out and look at a $500 job.

Since we’re still in the rabbit hole and the op is mia, let’s keep talking about contractor pricing, value, and making sure you know what you’re buying!

When I had my single story masonry chimney torn down and removed by a licensed, bonded, insured professional for 500$ it was a good deal I thought. Couple guys all day doing menial demolition labor. The roof hole for this single flue was pretty small and required patching. That guy was also a licensed, bonded, professional. I had the shingles and previously had him roof my house so he only charged me like 30$.

Perhaps the most important part of this story is that it happened about 10-11 years ago during the Great Recession or whatever they called it. The labor market was soft and that certainly helped.

This was just my experience and the valuable part of the story isn’t the 500$ but that the op would be wise to consider demolition as one of the options. Especially if the next issue will be whether this masonry chimney is even safe to use due to so many other possible deficiencies.

 

[begreen]

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I would never tear down a perfectly good chimney because it was not capped,sealed or flashed right. Masonry chimneys last the life of the house and some a lot longer. The have been tried and tested for centuries.

 

[brenndatomu]

I would never tear down a perfectly good chimney because it was not capped,sealed or flashed right. Masonry chimneys last the life of the house and some a lot longer. The have been tried and tested for centuries.

Usually the only thing still standing after a fire!
Always cracks me up when I see that bumper sticker on firefighters vehicles "so and so FD, saving foundations and chimneys since 19XX"

 

[begreen]

The condition of the chimney may depend its age, proper installation, base stability, and no earthquakes. I was glad to remove our old fireplace. It struck out on 3 counts. Removal was a dirty dusty job, but it was unsafe and needed to go.

 

[weatherguy]

Yeah some stone can be pourous and no matter what you do it will leak without sealant. Clearly that material should not have been used for an external application but at this point sealing is the only option. But if the op has the same brick outside as we saw inside it is modern brick and if it has a good crown and the mortar is in good shape sealer is not nessecary.

And our buisness is an almost 70 year old sweep and his son. We have been doing masonry repairs on chimneys for about 40 years. So yes we have experience on our side to.

Are you the 70 year old guy

 

[bholler]

Are you the 70 year old guy

Nope lol

 

[begreen]

Are you the 70 year old guy

Nope lol

Careful, I resemble that remark.

 

[begreen]

Share this one with dad:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/joke-of-the-day.168366/#post-2261919

 

[MBG2003]

Sorry it took me so long to get back. I appreciate your comments. Steve is out of state doing a contract (so much for retiring!). When the older father came out and said the mortar was the culprit that did not make sense- the chimney has been securely wrapped in a tarp since just before hurricaine Irma. I did not want to make that decision by myself and felt he was very full of bull%#! His son came out a week or so later and immediately showed both of us that there was standing water under the metal near the cricket (that they had built up 2 years ago due to leaking right after putting on the roof). The son and 2 other spent an entire day rebuilding the cricket AGAIN!! Also expanded the overlap panels. Yes, a 2:12 slope is harder to roof, but I know (she passed away last year at 100) and her sister and husband live next to us so we know the entire history of this house. Never a leak until a new roof by this dude put on! Third roof since 1967. We will be building something smaller in the next couple years. Maybe a 3:12 but still low slope- I love the mcm look. Grew up in one where it rained and heavy snow on Lake Michigan that never leaked. I do believe the AVERAGE people that do the tradework just do not have the skills nor pride in good work anymore. Sad that working with your hands just does not attract good work ethic in some people. Thank you all. Now on to another question......

 

[bholler]

Sorry it took me so long to get back. I appreciate your comments. Steve is out of state doing a contract (so much for retiring!). When the older father came out and said the mortar was the culprit that did not make sense- the chimney has been securely wrapped in a tarp since just before hurricaine Irma. I did not want to make that decision by myself and felt he was very full of bull%#! His son came out a week or so later and immediately showed both of us that there was standing water under the metal near the cricket (that they had built up 2 years ago due to leaking right after putting on the roof). The son and 2 other spent an entire day rebuilding the cricket AGAIN!! Also expanded the overlap panels. Yes, a 2:12 slope is harder to roof, but I know (she passed away last year at 100) and her sister and husband live next to us so we know the entire history of this house. Never a leak until a new roof by this dude put on! Third roof since 1967. We will be building something smaller in the next couple years. Maybe a 3:12 but still low slope- I love the mcm look. Grew up in one where it rained and heavy snow on Lake Michigan that never leaked. I do believe the AVERAGE people that do the tradework just do not have the skills nor pride in good work anymore. Sad that working with your hands just does not attract good work ethic in some people. Thank you all. Now on to another question......

There are plenty of good contractors out there still. The problem is that many people (not saying this applies to you because i have no clue) just go with the lowest bid. And then complain about the work. Well the best contractors usually wont be the cheapest. They also many times are not the most expensive but more often than not if you choose the cheap option you will get sub par work.

 

[Hogwildz]

The cricket & chimney should have ice & water shield all around on the decking, under the new roof. Without photos, tough to say, but usually is bad, incomplete or missing flashings around the chimney. If butyl tape was used, something is not right. There should be no need for that, and it will fail in time, at least on the brick side. That is why my guess is the flashing. Masonry & mortar can take in water in very rare occurrences, but ya don't see that very often unless the chimney is old and needs repointing or the bricks are literally deteriorating.

2/12 pitch is horrible, and the entire roof should have been ice and water shielded or equivalent.

 

[Simonkenton]

You are going to build a house with a 3:12 pitch? Don't do it. Bad design,
Good God at least go with a 4:12, better yet a 6:12
I don't care what asthetic preference you have, this is practical stuff to keep the damn roof from leaking.

 

[brenndatomu]

And 6:12 roof lasts longer...this house has both 6:12 and 8:12...its 3rd shingle roof ever (since 1940) was installed in 2010

 

[Hogwildz]

6 minimum, 9 preferred round here. Anything under a 6" better have full Ice & Water under. Just asking for issues, unless it's a rubber roof.

 

[MBG2003]

Thanks all... I know MANY MANY houses in south Florida (I lived there, Steve did not) that had 2:12 roofs that did not leak- on Siesta Key. The majority of my friends there live in 2:12 in the neighborhood . 2:12 was the era. 50's and 60's. Much more rain down there than here. This home never leaked until donkey butt put the metal roof on and did not make a high enough cricket for the low slope. There is butyl tape. I definately agree on butyl on whole roof on low slope. Sorry I did not get back on the roof but the fiberglass(??) extention ladder was too much weight for my back. Oh- I never would have torn the chimney and covered the roof as I think someone suggested- that would mean one less fireplace and having a useless fireplace and/or having to tear down the 10' wide x 4' deep fireplace in that den- it is what divides the den from the livingroom. I was certain the leak was not the mortar above roofline- as right now it is tarped... Thx.

 

[Simonkenton]

Well then, you go right ahead with your 2:12 pitch on your new house. Sorry to have bothered you with my misinformation.