Flashing & Leak Repair in Newton, MA
On a slate roof, the flashing is woven in with the slates, and so is the repair
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Matched to Newton's older homes
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CSIA certified
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Written quote before any work
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1-year workmanship warranty
Pricing, before you commit
Look up flashing prices first
Our flashing repair pricing page covers everything from resealing sound flashing to full replacement, and estimates the cost for your Newton chimney from its size and roof access.
Where chimney meets roof
CHIMNEY FLASHING & LEAK REPAIR IN NEWTON, MA
Flashing is the metal that seals the gap where a chimney passes through the roof. Step flashing runs up the sides in pieces layered with the roofing, counter flashing is set into the brick and laps over it, and a cricket behind a wide chimney turns water around the stack. When any of these fail, water runs into the roof deck and shows up indoors.
We use aluminum or lead-coated copper, never plastic or rubber, and seal the joints with a chimney-rated sealant. Where the metal is sound and only the sealant has failed, resealing is the smaller job. Lifted, corroded or missing flashing is replaced. Every option is priced on our flashing repair cost page.
Slate roofs are common on Newton's older houses, and flashing on slate has to be worked in with the slates rather than nailed over them, which means lifting and resetting the slates around the chimney. The method is on our flashing and leak repair page.
New step and counter flashing at the roofline
The Work
Thaw leaks, storm leaks and what each one means.
Not every chimney leak happens in the rain. In a Newton winter, snow that melts on a heated roof can refreeze at the cold edge and around the base of the chimney, backing water up under the flashing. A ceiling stain that appears during a thaw, days after the last storm, often starts there.
Older slate roofs add another layer. The slate itself lasts for generations, but the nails and flashing around it do not, and a single slipped slate next to the chimney can send water behind the step flashing. The technician traces the source on the roof and photographs it before quoting, and if the crown or the mortar joints are part of the problem, they are priced as separate lines.
Brown Chimney repairs flashing in Boston and Wellesley too, and the Massachusetts page covers the wider area. The full list of Newton services is on the Newton page.
When to book
Signs the flashing on a Newton chimney has failed.
Flashing problems usually show up inside the house first. Check the attic and the rooms beside the chimney for these.
A ceiling stain near the chimney after rain or a thaw
Damp wood or rusty nails in the attic around the chimney
Icicles or ice build-up at the base of the chimney
Slipped, cracked or missing slates beside the stack
Sealant that has cracked or pulled away from the brick
Flashing that is lifted, bent or patched with tar
Number six is worth a closer look. Black roofing tar smeared over the flashing is a common quick fix, and it usually means an earlier leak was patched rather than repaired. Tar dries, cracks and lets water back in, and it has to come off before the flashing can be done properly.
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The stain on your ceiling is almost never under the hole. Anyone who quotes a leak repair from the driveway is selling you sealant, not a solution.
Brown Chimney
The Brown Chimney Standard · Newton
Coal-era flues, modern boilers.
The appliance decides the flue
Many Newton houses went from coal to oil to gas while keeping the original masonry flue. Before quoting a liner or a repair, we confirm what is actually venting through the chimney today.
Soft mortar stays soft
Pre-war brick was laid in lime-rich mortar. Repointing it with a harder modern mix makes the brick face break away instead of the joint, so the mortar is matched to the wall it goes into.
1-year workmanship warranty
Labor on our repairs and installations is covered for a full year, in writing. Parts carry the manufacturer's warranty.
Price fixed before we start
Measured on site, quoted in writing and approved by you before any work begins.
What to expect
What happens during a Newton leak repair.
The visit starts by finding where the water gets in, not by pricing a guess. The crown, cap, flashing and each face of the chimney are checked and photographed, and only then is the repair quoted. On slate and steep roofs, the access plan is agreed first, and a lift, if one is needed, is priced as its own line.
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Leak source diagnosis
Water stains rarely start where they show. We trace the actual entry point — flashing, crown, cap, or masonry — before quoting anything, because sealing the wrong spot solves nothing.
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Written quote before the roof is opened
You approve the exact price before anything is lifted. Chimneys wider than 30 inches at the roofline need a cricket by code — if yours does, that's identified and priced up front.
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Old flashing removal
Failed flashing and hardened sealant come off down to sound roof deck. Any pre-existing shingle damage is documented and quoted separately rather than quietly absorbed.
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New flashing installation
Step, counter, and saddle flashing set in aluminum or lead-coated copper — never plastic, never rubber — and sealed with chimney-rated elastomeric caulk.
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Roof restored, photos taken
The roof area around the chimney base is restored, the work photographed before and after, and the labor covered by the 1-year workmanship warranty.
For transparency
What flashing repair does not include.
Building a cricket. A chimney wider than 30 inches should have a saddle behind it to divert water, and framing and roofing it is a separate line on the estimate.
Roof repairs beyond the chimney. Worn slates or shingles elsewhere on the roof are photographed and pointed out, but repaired by a roofer.
Interior repairs. Once the water is stopped, damaged plaster, ceilings and paint are a separate trade.
FAQs
Chimney leak questions from Newton homeowners
Our ceiling stains during a thaw, not when it rains. Is that the chimney?
It can be. Meltwater that refreezes around the chimney can back up under the flashing and leak days after the snow fell. The technician checks the flashing, the roofing around it and the attic side before saying where the water gets in.
We have a slate roof. Can the flashing be repaired without damaging it?
Yes, with care. The slates around the chimney are lifted, the new flashing is worked in and the slates are reset. Slates that were already cracked are photographed and pointed out before the work begins.
Someone covered our flashing in tar. Does it all need replacing?
Not always, but the tar has to come off to see what is underneath. If the metal below is sound, it can be cleaned and resealed. If it has corroded or lifted, it is replaced.
What metal do you use for flashing?
Aluminum or lead-coated copper. Lead-coated copper is a common choice on slate roofs, because it lasts well and can be shaped neatly around old brick.
Does flashing work in a historic district need approval?
Like-for-like flashing replacement usually counts as maintenance or goes through the simpler review route. If the work changes how the chimney or roofline looks from the street, check with the city's preservation staff before it starts.
Related Services
Often booked with Newton leak repair.
Stop the leak at the source
Found first. Fixed second.
Every Brown Chimney leak repair in Newton starts with finding the source, followed by a written quote you approve before work begins. Labor carries our 1-year workmanship warranty. Call 781-547-7784.
