IF you have a Masonry Chimney, be very aware. Masonry means brick, rock, concrete block, clay, etc. I highly recommend that you get a company that specializes in chimneys to evaluate your chimney, and repair if necessary. The chimney should be repaired, and ready to go without any issues BEFORE the old roof is even removed.
You MIGHT even consider having a professional Chimney Repair company professionally install the counter-flashing on your chimney instead of the Roofing Company.
I would recommend at least two chimney companies to evaluate and provide any needed corrective actions.
I highly recommend that you have a professional chimney company evaluate your chimney before you have any roofing companies evaluate your roof.
Why? More data. Correlating the data from the Chimney Repair company along with the diagnosis from the Roofing Company can be quite informative ABOUT the Roofing Company.
Most Roofing Companies won’t even pay attention to your chimney, more than a passing glance. And on the day of your new roof installation, it is common for Roofing Companies to ignore chimney problems, install counter-flashing and move on. It is a huge time suck to get involved in chimney issues the DAY OF THE new roofing installation.
It is important to note which Roofing Companies indicate problems with your chimney, that correlate to any issues noted by the Chimney Repair specialists.
QUESTIONS TO ASK THE CHIMNEY REPAIR SPECIALISTS
Of the Chimney Repair specialists that you have look at your chimney, ask questions.
If you have a brick Chimney, ask what kind of bricks your chimney is made of?
Ask what kind of mortar will be used on your bricks, and why.
Ask about the Chimney liner condition.
Ask about overall condition, stability.
Does the brick need to be re-pointed?
Note: I have observed Chimney’s that were loose, were counter-flashed anyway, and no information conveyed to the customer.
Ask the Chimney Repair specialists if they can install the Chimney counter-flashing after the roofing company has completed the new roof installation.
Ask to see 10 or so examples of chimneys they have repaired before, both before pictures and after.
Ask for an explanation of the problems they encountered, and how they were repaired.
Ask for examples of counter flashing that they have installed.
Ask for a detailed explanation of the installation procedures that the Chimney Repair specialists will follow to install your counter-flashing if they were hired to do so.
Details include layout of counter flashing, and how counter flashing will be installed. This is specific to if brick, rock or block.
Final question, after everything.
Ask under what conditions will they install counter flashing by cutting a reglet through the brick in a single line parallel to roof plane, vs traditional method along grout lines. If the Chimney Repair specialists cut the brick? I recommend moving on to a different “professional”.
VERY IMPORTANT: If you have copper counter-flashing on your chimney, and you want to keep the copper – this must be handled very firmly. You will find that many roofing companies will rip out your copper counter-flashing, grind a line through your bricks, and install a single piece of trim.
So to keep the copper counter-flashing, you MUST include this requirement in your quote and contract. Additionally, this detail must be addressed on the day of the roofing removal before the crew gets on the roof. I promise you it will be ripped out PDQ.
As in all of these items – the decision as to the level of quality for your new roof is up to you to make – AND TO ENFORCE.