Fireplaces are less common in Mascotte; where subdivisions such as Villa Pass and Lake Jackson Ridge have them, the chimney is usually a framed chase. It explains most of the leak calls.
Every way water gets into a chimney
- Flashing at the roof-to-chimney junction, often disturbed at a reroof; see step and counter-flashing repair
- The crown, cracked or with no overhang; see a rebuilt crown
- No cap, or a damaged one, letting rain straight down the flue; see capping the flue
- Chase covers and storm collars on framed chases; see chase cover repair
- The brick and mortar, absorbing wind-driven rain through open joints
Leaks in Mascotte
A chase that leaks in a young home usually has a flat cover, an unsealed storm collar or siding that wasn’t lapped properly.
Reading where the water shows up
| Where you see water | Often points to | Checked first |
|---|---|---|
| Ceiling or wall beside the chimney | Water at the roof line | Flashing and any cricket |
| Inside the firebox or on the damper | Water coming down the flue | Cap, crown or storm collar |
| High on the chimney breast | Water through the brick or crown | Crown and mortar joints |
| Rust streaks down a chase | Water pooling on the chase top | Chase cover |
Water can travel before it shows, so this is a starting point; see how to read stains beside a chimney.
Wind-driven rain and storm season
Central Florida averages about 51.5 inches of rain a year (CurrentResults, NCEI normals), much of it in the June–September wet season (NWS Melbourne). Storms drive rain sideways into flashing gaps, crown cracks and chase seams that stay dry in gentle rain, which is why many chimneys leak only in hard storms.
Humidity doesn’t cause leaks, and storms aren’t always the cause either; they expose a weak spot that was already there. See why chimneys leak in Florida storms.
When the leak comes with damage
- Water getting in, masonry otherwise sound: leak repair, on this page
- Loose brick, cracks through the structure, storm damage: the local repair service
- Not sure what’s going on: a top-to-bottom chimney check
Leak repair across Mascotte
Leak tracing and repair are available anywhere in Mascotte, including Lake Jackson Ridge. When you get in touch, say where the water shows up and in what kind of weather. For the rest of the house, see services for homes in Mascotte. The same service covers service for leaking chimneys in Groveland, Clermont chimney leak repair and leak diagnosis and repair in Minneola.
Depending on what’s found, the work may also involve masonry water repellent.
For the full background, see how chimney leak repair works and how Florida storms find chimney leaks.
References (3)
Every Mascotte figure above, with its source.
