How to Catch Roof and Chimney Damage Early in Baltimore

Most roof and chimney problems start small. A cracked chimney crown, a lifted piece of flashing, or a slipped slate can sit there quietly for a season or two before water shows up inside. By then the wood or brick behind it has usually taken a beating. The good news is you can spot a lot of the early signs yourself, without a ladder.

Here's what to look for, inside and out.

Inside the house

Start here. It's the easiest place to look and it tells you a lot.

• Ceiling and wall stains. Brown, yellow, or gray spots on the top floor, especially after spring rains or a winter thaw. A small stain can mean a bigger wet area above it.
• Around the fireplace. Stains on the wall or ceiling next to the chimney, or rust on the damper or firebox, mean water is getting in at the chimney.
• The attic. Take a flashlight up after a rain. Look for dark or wet wood, damp insulation, rusty nail tips, or daylight coming through.
• Musty smells. A damp smell in the attic or top floor rooms after wet weather often means a slow leak somewhere.

From the ground

A pair of binoculars and a walk around the house after a storm goes a long way. Late afternoon light makes things easier to see.

• Missing, cracked, or curling shingles, or shingles in the yard after wind
• Rusty, bent, or loose metal flashing at the chimney, walls, vents, and skylights
• Gutters overflowing, pulling away, or full of shingle grit
• Dark stains or soft spots on the fascia board at the roof edge
• Dips or waves in the roof line, which can mean wet or soft decking underneath

Signs on slate roofs

A lot of older Baltimore homes still have slate, and it has its own warning signs:

• Cracks and chips. Freeze-thaw cycles split slate over time. Look for broken edges or pieces on the ground after winter.
• Slipped or missing pieces. Old nails rust out and let slates slide down. A gap in the pattern lets water straight in.
• Flaking. Slate that's peeling in layers or leaving a powdery dust at the eaves is getting worn.

Stay off slate roofs. They break under your feet and they're slippery.

Chimney warning signs

Older chimneys in the city and the county take a lot of weather. Watch for:

• Crumbling mortar or flaking brick. Look for sandy debris at the base or on the roof below.
• White chalky stains. That's efflorescence, which means water is soaking into the brick and pulling salts out as it dries.
• A cracked crown. The concrete cap on top of the chimney cracks over time, and water runs right into the chimney through it. Our chimney crown repair page explains the fix.
• Loose or rusted flashing where the chimney meets the roof. This is one of the most common leak spots we see. More on our chimney flashing repair page.
• A leaning stack. If the chimney looks like it's tilting, get it checked soon.

What to do when you spot something

1. Take pictures, inside and out, and note what the weather was doing.
2. Put a bucket or towel down if water is coming in, and move anything valuable.
3. Don't climb up on a wet roof or a slate roof to look.
4. Call a roofer who also does masonry work, so the roof and chimney get looked at together.

Catching these things early usually means the job stays a repair: resetting flashing, repointing a few joints, or replacing a handful of shingles or slates. You can see the kind of chimney work we do on our masonry services page.

If you're not sure what you're looking at, text your address and a few pictures to 443-900-4815 or give us a call. MHIC #154344.