Hey guys! This could be a long story but I'll keep it short. :) Pretty much my home inspector screwed me by overlooking an OBVIOUS leak in two places!

Anyway, I have a leak in my garage attic around the chimney and also in the house attic around the chimney as well. The garage leak isn't too bad. The one in the main attic is serious. The sheathing is rotted from the edge of the house or the chimney to about the first rafter. I would be very afraid to walk on this without the fear of falling through. Upon inspecting the roof; I don't see any flashing up against the chimney but I believe there is flashing under the shingles. The shingles are butted up against the chimney and caulked around the edges.

Here's the question. I have never flashed before. I believe I understand how to flash a brick chimney from my research but I have yet to come across flashing a rock chimney where there is no uniformity. Would I have to cut into the rock with a rock cutting blade? Any other tips?

Here's a pic of the house and the part I have circled brings up another question. Should that part of the roof have flashing too since the two structures meet? If so, how would you accomplish this with the wood siding?

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...House037-1.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...ewHouse035.jpg

If the areas were not flashed right when the house was built, you have quite a job to correct it.

On the fireplace, you have to tear off the roofing at least a foot back and maybe to the closest roof rafter if you find rot.

After replacing the roof sheathing, you need to put a piece of solid flashing along the top of the fireplace. Point it outward so the water will run away from the wall. The shingles will go over this flashing and stop about 1-2 before you get to the rock, give the water a place to run. Pay attention to the inside corner, so water will not get in there.

Going down the side of the stone, you will have to use step flashing which is a small piece of metal, bent at a 90' and place one under each shingle.

At the bottom you use another piece of solid flashing, again bend in 1/2 at the proper angle for your roof and running up on the rock 2-3". The piece will go "over" the top of the shingles and you see several inches of metal showing on the bottom when you get done.

When all this is done you will see that water could still get thru behind the flashing. Now you have to counterflash on the stone to prevent this.

Snap a chaulk line on the stone just above the flashing that is there from the roof. Take a 4" grinder with a very fine blade and cut into the stone about 1/2" into the stone.
Do the same on the top and lower sides of the fireplace.

Now starting from the bottom, take a piece of flashing that will cover all but 1/2" of the roof flashing and have it bend with a 90' L with just 1/2" on the top leg.
You slip this 1/2" into the groove you have cut and use a waterproof caulk along the top edge and in the grooves.
Do the same on all 3 sides paying attention to the corners so they shed water.

Hope that help, let me know if I missed some detail

Gook luck

Roger

S

Wow! Sounds like quite a job. Maybe I SHOULD think about hiring someone for this.

What's your opinion on my other question about the red circles on the pic? Seems like that would need some type of flashing as well?

Yes it will be work, but cost quite a little too if you hire it out.

The red areas are the same way, you need to run a screwdriver along where the shingles meet the wall, and see if you can see or hear metal flashing. It should be run behind the siding and under the shingles.

If it were done right the siding should stop 1" or so above the shingles so it does not wick water.

If the whole house is done wrong, it will cost you thousands to correct it, the siding would have to come off, and then matching it back is very hard! I would consider some kind of help from your home inspector, he probably has errors and ommissions insurance. He should have caught that, you can see it from the ground if you're looking for it, but the average person would never know.

Roger

I'll have to check on that tomorrow. If it is wrong... its going to be that way for a while unless I can get help from the inspector. Hell, we just bought the place in July.

Here's some pics of why I say this should NOT have been overlooked. I know the inspector has a clause protecting him in his contract but do I have any kind of legal recourse?

Here's what you see as you climb the garage attic stairs. One would think a trashcan would be a red flag?

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...e/P1010643.jpg

Here is a pic he took of the attic steps pointing out a missing nut. See the trashcan in the background?
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...damage/i39.jpg

Here's the main attic. He did not look up here supposedly because of the framing. I got through just fine. You can see flashing there but can't see any hint of it from the outside.
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...fdamage011.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...fdamage014.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...fdamage015.jpg

You definitely have some issues here.

I would not comment on the legalities but the signs are obvious on this one.
Hope you can get this resolved without going out of pocket.

Don't they have a disclosure form you get from the buyer in your state? With them leaving the trash can in place it looks like they knew of the problem.

I think maybe a lawyer may be of help? But that could cost more than the repairs. Call the inspector and ask him who his insurance carrier is?