Roof Flashing and Caulking

A contractor came this week on a 50 degree sunny day and re-flashed around my brick chimney. I was busy and only got to look at the job after they left. The exposed flashing around the bottom of the chimney is just a mess and is crooked, ugly -- not a professional job. They will redo it my way or not get paid. Question can caulking be correctly done in 30 or 40 degree weather? - thanks.

There is caulk that will flow OK - and one trick is to wrap hand warmer packets
around a caulk tube - but if they goobered that part of the job, then I have to
wonder if everything else was done OK? (e.g., if it's a brick chimney, aluminum
flashing shouldn't be used in the mortar joints). Two building magazines -
Journal of Light Construction and Fine Homebuilding - have had articles & columns
on this. Many / most of those articles are available online, I think.

Shouldn't need 'caulking' at the bottom of the chimney; that's the flashings job. Yes it can, but use a product like Vulkem-NO Silicone. It should be kept warm for tooling as when it gets cold it gets real stiff. Fits a caulking gun.

I seldom hire anything done I can do myself, just for that reason. I did have my roof replaced last September. May have been able, but don't thing I belong up on the roof anymore. Contractors men did a very good job and the clean-up from the tear off was very very good. Never hurts to let the contractor/worker know what your expectations are before they begin. If you don't think the flashing is water tight, you have no choice but to recaulk or redo immediately. If it is cosmetic, I would wait til spring/warmer times. gobble

Without a picture it's difficult to say if caulking is needed. To answer your question though as long as the caulk doesn't get below freezing in the few days to follow until it hardens through it will be alright. If the caulk is black it's probably plastic cement which would be immune to cold weather.

I'm not certain I would like to make these guys fix their work. They might do something to cause a roof leak out of spite. If they didn't care enough about their work to do it right the first time I don't think they have the ability anyway.

Thanks for all the advice. It is a mostly cosmetic issue but like was said it calls into question the overall quality, was the step flashing done right, etc. I have alot of pride in this house, the brick chimney has custom brick work at the top (flaunching I guess you'd call it) and it the crappy job sticks out like sore thumb above the rear deck and patio area.

(quoted from post at 06:21:54 12/09/16) There is caulk that will flow OK - and one trick is to wrap hand warmer packets
around a caulk tube - but if they goobered that part of the job, then I have to
wonder if everything else was done OK?

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Thanks for tip on the special caulk. Yes I'm worried about what's underneath. Good thing that I have attic access under the area so that I can check for leaks.

(quoted from post at 06:28:02 12/09/16) I seldom hire anything done I can do myself, just for that reason ... May have been able, but don't thing I belong up on the roof anymore. Contractors men did a very good job and the ... Never hurts to let the contractor/worker know what your expectations are before they begin. If you don't think the flashing is water tight, you have no choice but to re-caulk or redo immediately. If it is cosmetic, I would wait til spring/warmer times. gobble

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I'm pushing 60 with a bad back and this is a 12/12 pitch roof with a 25-drop off the edge at that point. If I have them back at all (which I doubt) I agree maybe wait until spring.

(quoted from post at 06:36:57 12/09/16) ... as long as the caulk doesn't get below freezing in the few days to follow until it hardens through it will be alright. If the caulk is black it's probably plastic cement which would be immune to cold weather.

I'm not certain I would like to make these guys fix their work. They might do something to cause a roof leak out of spite. If they didn't care enough about their work to do it right the first time I don't think they have the ability anyway.

Click to expand...

Yep I think it could be too cold now, and I should tell them they blew it and not have them back. I'm a firm believer in only have one chance to do it right. There was no paperwork from them just a phone call and a ballpark figure discussed. I am ready to fight, but I'm really puzzled because it's a 100 year-old family roofing business and I thought they were the best I could find.

When I reroofed a house before selling it a couple of years ago, I did a bad looking job of step flashing the chimney. Looking around the low end neighborhood where the house was located, I could see that my work was no worse than what was visible on other houses, but neither did it enhance the appearance of what most people who came to look at it described as "the cutest little house they'd ever seen". What I did was fabricate and install what I think is called a counter flashing. It was sort of like an escutcheon for the chimney. It turned out beautifully, and really turned an eyesore into an attractive feature (as well as increasing the weather-proofness of the step flashing). Maybe that is something you could look into.

Stan

Time to call the BOSS and not deal with the idiots in the field. If HE
doesn't want to come out and have a look you can always post a poison
letter on the internet right beside their listing. Gets Very quick
results.

Stan good suggestion. I thought about that except for the flashing is not even flat against the brick.

jeffcat, the boss came out but just seemed to BS me on how 'experienced' his guys were. He'll come back out and I'm going to let him have it for hacking up my roof.

Hire yourself a union architectural sheetmetal shop and the job will be done correctly.

If the employee is doing bad work it's in the best interest to let the company know about it. The only way they can weed out these people is if there is complaints on them. If it's a reputable company they will send out their best people to make it right. It's really difficult in this day and age to get people that care about the work they do. When I had complaints to my business I went out myself and made the repair so I could see first hand what was done.