Many fireplaces in Tuscawilla and Oak Forest are original factory-built units in chases now thirty to forty-five years old. That shapes where leaks here usually start.
Every way water gets into a chimney
- Flashing at the roof-to-chimney junction, often disturbed at a reroof; see flashing repair
- The crown, cracked or with no overhang; see crown repair
- No cap, or a damaged one, letting rain straight down the flue; see a properly sized cap
- Chase covers and storm collars on framed chases; see repairing a leaking chase cover
- The brick and mortar, absorbing wind-driven rain through open joints
What we see on Winter Springs roofs
Original chase covers from the 1980s were often flat galvanized steel. By now most have rusted or dished, and a leak through one runs down the flue into the firebox or into the chase framing.
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 what ceiling stains near a chimney mean.
Leaks that start after a reroof
Many chimney leaks begin the season after a new roof. If the old flashing was reused, cut short or only caulked instead of being properly set into the chimney, the first wind-driven storm finds it.
Some flashing leaks are roofing work and some are chimney work, so tracing tells you which trade you need. See what to ask your roofer about the chimney and flashing that lets water in.
Leak repair or chimney repair?
This page is about water getting in. If the chimney is cracked, crumbling, leaning or storm-damaged, that’s structural chimney repair options, and a leak repair may be part of it. When you’re not sure, start with a full chimney inspection.
Leaks around Winter Springs
- Anywhere in Winter Springs: tell us where the water shows up and when
- Nearby: Oviedo chimney leak repair, leak diagnosis and repair in Casselberry and help with chimney water entry in Longwood
- Other work on the house: services for homes in Winter Springs
Related repairs that often come up: breathable water repellent.
Background reading: leak tracing and repair in depth and what white streaks on a chimney mean.
References (3)
References behind the local data for Winter Springs.
