Challenge

This customer called in complaining about their chimney leaking for the past seven years. The many companies they hired failed to solve the problem and end the leaking once and for all. Handymans would patch the chimney with no luck. After close to a decade of a malfunctioning roof, the homeowner decided to reach out to G.F. Sprague to see if we could provide the solution to her headache of a house. We sent out our Certified Expert, Matt Delosa to provide a thorough inspection of their roofing system.

Not only did he spot the flashing issue on their chimney, but discovered multiple sections of their roof that were leading to leaks and water damage. Surrounding the house was a mix of wood, fiberglass, and aluminum gutters. The wood gutters were rotting, the fiberglass gutters were cracked, and the aluminum gutter’s end caps were leaking. All of these problems created a high risk for basement flooding and water damage to the siding of the home. In addition to a faulty gutter system, we found that the wall flashing and siding on the home’s third story was a top reason why the chimney was so prone to leaking.

Lastly, the home had three different aged asphalt shingle roof quadrants with a few patches in them and old wall flashes that all together put the home at risk for leaks from water, ice, and snow. The patchy asphalt shingle roof was also a top reason why the house was leaking in the first place.

Solution

Our solution to the issues pertaining to the faulty roofing system fell into four categories: roof, chimney, gutters, and siding. For the patchy asphalt shingle roof, we replaced the entirety of it with brand new asphalt shingles that were consistent in age and quality. For the leaking chimney, we installed brand new lead flashing to prevent water entry. For the gutters, we removed all of the various types of gutters: wood, aluminum, and fiberglass, and replaced them all with 5″ K-style aluminum gutters. And finally, we removed the old siding in the water damage hot spots and installed aluminum flashing with brand new cedar clapboard siding. The final product is a beautiful house and a leaking problem solved!