ᐅ Chimney not properly sealed? Water leaking in – who is responsible?
Created on: 4 Jun 2020 09:41
T
TwiggyG85
Hello everyone,
Following my last question about the structural engineer (we managed to install the beam and it’s still holding ^^), now to my best friend throughout the renovation phase, the roofer.
I’ll skip the emotions here, so let’s stick to the facts.
In short: Rainwater is entering the house through the chimney wall.
The roofer took a look at the problem and said it’s no one’s fault, but it can be fixed for around 1000€ (about 1100 USD). Here are the details.
When the roof was installed, our chimney looked like in the following picture (the point of contention is the flashing).
This flashing was removed AFTER the roofing work was finished for the heating system installation. Since the flashing was removed, we have had the problem of rainwater coming in during rain and strong wind. So far, this has only occurred during the heavy rain period earlier this year. We only noticed it when a yellow stain appeared on the ceiling upstairs, so it’s hard to say what the condition was like with the flashing in place. The next picture shows the condition as seen from the attic (the plastic sheet was hanging like this in general).
On the left is the chimney wall, on the right the paneling, and above is the framing around the paneling. As you can see, light is clearly visible.
Our roofer says this is all correct, and that the flashing prevented rain from coming in. But looking at that flashing, I doubt it would hold up against storms and heavy rain, so I worry about the future insulation getting damaged.
The roofer offered to seal the chimney top with resin for about 1000€ (about 1100 USD), which is apparently a normal procedure. This should make it waterproof. Now, the money is one thing, but I have lost trust in him a long time ago, as too much has happened. I suspect he did a poor job and now wants to fix his mistakes at our expense. That’s why I’m asking the forum: if his statements are accurate and you can confirm this here, I won’t question it. But the loose plastic sheeting on the chimney wall alone raises doubts for me.
Thanks in advance.
Best regards
Following my last question about the structural engineer (we managed to install the beam and it’s still holding ^^), now to my best friend throughout the renovation phase, the roofer.
I’ll skip the emotions here, so let’s stick to the facts.
In short: Rainwater is entering the house through the chimney wall.
The roofer took a look at the problem and said it’s no one’s fault, but it can be fixed for around 1000€ (about 1100 USD). Here are the details.
When the roof was installed, our chimney looked like in the following picture (the point of contention is the flashing).
This flashing was removed AFTER the roofing work was finished for the heating system installation. Since the flashing was removed, we have had the problem of rainwater coming in during rain and strong wind. So far, this has only occurred during the heavy rain period earlier this year. We only noticed it when a yellow stain appeared on the ceiling upstairs, so it’s hard to say what the condition was like with the flashing in place. The next picture shows the condition as seen from the attic (the plastic sheet was hanging like this in general).
On the left is the chimney wall, on the right the paneling, and above is the framing around the paneling. As you can see, light is clearly visible.
Our roofer says this is all correct, and that the flashing prevented rain from coming in. But looking at that flashing, I doubt it would hold up against storms and heavy rain, so I worry about the future insulation getting damaged.
The roofer offered to seal the chimney top with resin for about 1000€ (about 1100 USD), which is apparently a normal procedure. This should make it waterproof. Now, the money is one thing, but I have lost trust in him a long time ago, as too much has happened. I suspect he did a poor job and now wants to fix his mistakes at our expense. That’s why I’m asking the forum: if his statements are accurate and you can confirm this here, I won’t question it. But the loose plastic sheeting on the chimney wall alone raises doubts for me.
Thanks in advance.
Best regards
T
TwiggyG854 Jun 2020 18:14Joedreck schrieb:
So the water runs down the outside of the chimney?Yep, you could say that.
T
TwiggyG854 Jun 2020 22:12Yes, that’s why I’m reaching out to the experts here.
The roofer justifies his €1000 (approximately $1100) quote by saying that the water was kept out by the cover cap. But as a layperson, that doesn’t quite make sense to me when I look at the actual construction condition. I see a loose membrane between the paneling and the chimney wall, and light coming through between the cover flashing and the "chimney end." That’s where the water is also coming in. I will try to illustrate this again with a drawing.
The roofer justifies his €1000 (approximately $1100) quote by saying that the water was kept out by the cover cap. But as a layperson, that doesn’t quite make sense to me when I look at the actual construction condition. I see a loose membrane between the paneling and the chimney wall, and light coming through between the cover flashing and the "chimney end." That’s where the water is also coming in. I will try to illustrate this again with a drawing.
H
HilfeHilfe5 Jun 2020 05:56Well then, show him that the membrane is lying loose on the masonry and that water is dripping between them.
T
TwiggyG855 Jun 2020 08:01Joedreck schrieb:
He installed the shingles, right? So he sealed against the shingles, not the chimney?
I'm just an amateur, but THAT can’t be proper professional work. Yep, sealed against the shingles, not the chimney.
HilfeHilfe schrieb:
Well then show him that the membrane is loose on the masonry and water is dripping through there. As I said, I already did. He says that’s how it’s supposed to be, and if the flashing was still covering the chimney, no water would get in.
Before I get really upset with him, I just want to know—is this botched work, or is it actually done like this?
Similar topics