Chirping on Crickets- Chelan and Douglas County Real Estate Inspection

No this is not just a Jiminy Cricket type of post, this is a post about those little roof lines behind your chimney called crickets or saddle flashing.

Standard practice (and code) state that if you have a chimney that is 30 inches wide or more you should have a “Cricket” behind it to ensure water and debris flow past the chimney. But if you are in an area that has lots of roof debris you may need one on even a smaller chimney.

So in essence a cricket is a small peaked roof or flashing built on the backside, or high side, of a chimney. When a cricket is installed on your chimney, debris will be less likely to build up behind the chimney. This will in turn help with the deterioration of roofing materials in this area and leakage around the chimney.

Here is an example from a home inspection of debris collecting behind the chimney. We had spalling of the chimney and elevated moisture levels in the soffit panel from leakage around the chimney.

Since chimneys are such a problem area you should inspect them once every year or two for loose or missing flashing and cracks in the masonry. If you catch some of these issues early it will save you money in the long run.

“Yep, temptations. They're the wrong things that seem right at the time, but, uh... even though the right things may seem wrong sometimes, or sometimes the wrong things, may be right at the wrong time, or visa versa. Understand?”

Jiminy Cricket

NCW Home Inspections, LLC  is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                               509-670-9572