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Chimney & Skylight Flashing Repair — Greater Seattle Metro
Real Great Roofing repairs and replaces step flashing, counter flashing, and skylight curb flashing across Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish. We fix it with metal — not roofing caulk over caulk — and guarantee the repair holds.
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Roofing
Metal Flashing — Not Caulk
We replace deteriorated flashing with properly formed metal. Caulk is a temporary measure, not a repair.
Step & Counter Flashing
Both layers of chimney flashing properly installed and integrated with the shingle field.
Skylight Curb Flashing
Skylight flashing kits properly installed per manufacturer spec — no more recurring leaks.
Source-First Diagnosis
We identify whether the chimney or skylight is actually the source before we touch anything.
Masonry Assessment
We note chimney crown and mortar joint condition and flag issues that need masonry attention.
10-Year Warranty
All flashing work backed by our written workmanship guarantee.
Chimney and skylight flashing failures are the single most common source of interior water damage on homes across Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond — and they're also the most frequently misrepaired. The typical "fix" applied by many contractors is roofing caulk applied over deteriorated metal or, worse, applied directly to the brick-to-shingle transition without metal flashing at all. Caulk lasts 3–7 years in Pacific Northwest UV and temperature cycling. Then the leak comes back.
Proper chimney flashing requires two components working together: step flashing — individual L-shaped metal pieces woven into the shingle courses at the chimney's sides — and counter flashing — metal that's embedded into the mortar joints and laps over the step flashing to prevent water from running behind it. Many homes in Bellevue's 1970s and 1980s neighborhoods, Kirkland's lakefront developments, and Redmond's Willows area were built with flashing that's now 30–40 years old, operating with mortar joints that have cracked, step flashing that has shifted, and counter flashing that has pulled away from the masonry.
Skylights present a similar challenge. Pacific Northwest homes added skylights throughout the 1980s and 1990s, frequently installed without proper curb flashing kits or with original materials that have since cracked at the corners where thermal movement is greatest. A wet ceiling near a skylight is often attributed to the skylight glazing or seal — but in most cases the actual water entry is at the curb flashing where it meets the shingle field, not at the glass.
We trace the actual water pathway before recommending any repair scope. Many chimney and skylight leak calls turn out to originate at a different location entirely — a failed pipe boot 8 feet upslope, or a lifted valley shingle that's directing water toward the chimney base. Fixing the chimney flashing correctly and leaving the actual source intact is a common outcome of contractors who diagnose from the interior stain rather than from the exterior.
If you've had a chimney or skylight leak "fixed" more than once without a lasting result, you've likely been through the caulk cycle. Here's what's happening — and why metal flashing is the only permanent solution.
Contractor or handyman applies fresh roofing caulk over the chimney-to-shingle transition or skylight curb. The caulk is flexible when new and the leak stops. Homeowner considers the problem solved.
Pacific Northwest UV, freeze-thaw cycles, and thermal movement cause the caulk to harden, crack, and pull away from one or both surfaces. The original flashing failure is still there — now with an additional layer of deteriorated caulk on top of it.
The chimney or skylight leaks again — usually worse than before, because the caulk may have concealed the real failure point and allowed secondary moisture damage to develop while appearing sealed. The cycle starts over.
Proper chimney flashing replacement involves removing all shingles adjacent to the chimney, removing the old step flashing, installing new pre-formed or site-bent step flashing woven into fresh shingle courses, installing new counter flashing embedded into mortar joints, and sealing only the masonry-metal interface with flexible, UV-stable sealant. It's a full-day repair for a single chimney. It holds for 15–25 years. It is the only approach we use.
A complete chimney flashing repair on a Kirkland or Redmond home follows a defined process. We document everything at each stage — you receive before-and-after photos showing exactly what was removed, what was installed, and how the final system is assembled.
Shingles are removed in a defined zone around the chimney. Old step flashing is extracted and the full condition of the deck and underlayment beneath is assessed. Any moisture damage discovered here is addressed before proceeding.
Old counter flashing is removed from the mortar joints. We inspect the chimney crown and flag any masonry repair needs to the homeowner. Clean, solid mortar joints are required for counter flashing to hold over the long term.
New L-shaped step flashing pieces — one per shingle course — are woven into the new shingle installation as it proceeds up the chimney side. Each piece overlaps the one below it, shedding water away from the junction at every course.
New counter flashing is cut into mortar joints or embedded in reglet cuts to a depth that provides positive mechanical attachment. The metal-to-masonry interface is sealed with flexible, UV-stable polyurethane sealant — not standard caulk.
Most Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond homes built in the 1970s through the 1990s have chimneys. Many of those chimneys have original flashing — 30–40 years old — or have been "repaired" with multiple layers of roofing cement over the decades. Understanding what's typical on homes of this era helps explain what we often find when we open up a chimney flashing repair.
1970s and 1980s homes typically used galvanized steel step and counter flashing. Galvanized steel has a lifespan of 20–30 years in Pacific Northwest conditions before corrosion compromises its waterproofing ability. Original flashing on a 1979 Bellevue home has been corroding for 44 years. It is past its service life in virtually every case.
Many 1970s–1980s roofing crews bedded step flashing in roofing tar rather than mechanically weaving it into the shingle courses. The tar held well initially but has since hardened into a brittle layer that cracked years ago, allowing water to migrate beneath both the step flashing and the shingles above it.
Skylights added to 1970s–1990s Eastside homes in the 80s and 90s were frequently installed by siding or general contractors rather than roofers. Many used proprietary curb flashing kits that are now discontinued, making replacement a custom fit rather than an off-the-shelf solution. We form site-specific metal to make the repair correct.
Concrete chimney crowns crack from freeze-thaw cycling over decades. A failed crown allows water to penetrate the masonry itself — which then migrates to the flashing transition. We always assess crown condition during a flashing repair; in many cases, a crown seal or rebuild is needed alongside the flashing work to make the repair last.
When Repair Isn't Enough
A flashing repair is often the right answer when the surrounding shingles and decking are in sound condition. But if the discovery during a chimney or skylight flashing repair reveals widespread underlayment failure, significant decking moisture damage, or shingles that are well past their rated life — the flashing repair becomes a small part of a larger problem.
On many Bellevue and Kirkland homes built in the 1970s–1980s, a chimney flashing repair is the moment when the full condition of the roof becomes visible. If what we expose reveals a roof that's been retaining moisture under multiple layers of deterioration, we'll tell you clearly and provide both a targeted repair quote and a replacement quote so you can make an informed decision.
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