The type of home that a person owns will have a large impact on the amount of work that is necessary to keep that home’s roof in tip-top shape. According to owner Greg Jensen of A&E Roofing, a roof repair company in Portland, Oregon, older homes with chimneys are among the most costly to maintain.
When someone is looking to buy a home, one thing to keep in mind is the age and style of the property. Homes that are older and larger will typically cost more to repair, and may need additional maintenance done on wiring, plumbing, and roofing systems each year. Although the sheer age of the materials used is one reason why older homes typically require more maintenance, another reason is the fact that most of these homes have large brick fireplaces and chimneys.
While fireplaces can be an excellent source of warmth in older, drafty homes, they can also be difficult to maintain and repair. According to Jensen, it is very important that homeowners who live in residences with one or more fireplaces get their chimneys checked out on a regular basis.
In addition to having their chimneys cleaned, homeowners need to also make sure that the mortar and bricks are in good condition at all times. Bricks are known for their extremely long lifespan, but the mortar that holds them together can disintegrate over time – especially when left exposed to rain, wind, ice, and snow. In Portland, most roof repair companies will take a look at homeowners’ chimneys while they are doing preventative maintenance work each year.
During this brief and basic inspection, Jensen says one thing that he often sees is that the flashing around the chimneys on many homes has been rusted out. This tends to happen over time, due in part to the harsh weather that homeowners in Portland must contend with. As a roof repair specialist, Jensen can easily repair rusted flashing. However, rusted flashing that is not repaired or replaced could leave the home susceptible to leaking and other issues down the line.
Of course, the flashing along chimneys is not the only flashing that homeowners should be wary of. Jensen explains that homeowners who have skylights need to keep a close watch over the flashing that is attached to the exteriors of the skylights, since that flashing tends to wear down very quickly.
If the flashing around a chimney or a skylight has gotten worn down or rusted out, then a roofing contractor will typically need to come in and re-flash the area. For the most part, re-flashing a chimney is not an especially large or expensive project. It typically runs around $500, but there are some variables that can make the job more or less expensive. In either case, Jensen says that re-flashing a chimney or a skylight is much less expensive than the cost of repairing a leak should that rusted-out flashing be left to cause further destruction.