One common issue I see is where flashing is replaced on a chimney with replacing the kickout flashing. In Florida we have to constantly battle water and considering the amount of water that runs off of a roofline, kickout flashing can divert thousands of gallons of water over time. Here a something that you might find very interesting. During a rain storm that dumps one inch of rain if your have 1,000 square foot of roof, over 600 gallons of water will run off! Jacksonville Florida receives over 50 inches of rain per year so that is over 30,000 gallons of water coming off of your roof per year! Let’s have a look at the long-term impact of forgetting this key element:
The first two photos show a chimney chase that had developed large hole following the pathway of travel starting where the kickout flashing is missing.
Here is another example of a chimney chase that was missing kickout flashing. While this chase had not developed a hole in the side of it, water intrusion was already deteriorating the interior portion of the chase and pooling around the factory built fireplace.
For reference, the picture above is what kickout flashing typically looks like: Without kickout flashing, water travels down the chimney chase leading to premature deterioration of your chimney and water leaks. It is a very inexpensive part, but can cost a lot of money if not installed. If just a small fraction of the 30,000 gallons of water is entering your chimney chase, it can cause a lot of damage in a short amount of time!