Chimney Repair in Rest Haven, GA

A lot of homes in the Rest Haven area and throughout the surrounding Buford, Sugar Hill, and Flowery Branch corridors were built with prominent masonry chimneys — the brick ranches from the '80s and '90s, the two-stories that went up during the 2000s construction push, and the occasional custom home with a stone chimney that rises two stories. Chimneys are an architectural feature that also happen to be the single most failure-prone zone on most roofs. A chimney is a column of masonry penetrating your roof system, sealed at the base with metal flashing and at the top with a cap and crown. When any one of those components fails — and they all eventually do — you've got a water entry point that can be dripping into your home for months before you notice it on a ceiling.

A Real Job from the Buford Corridor — 30518

A 2,600-square-foot two-story in a subdivision between Buford and Rest Haven, built in the late 1990s. Wide masonry chimney centered on the main ridge — roughly 38 inches across, well above the 30-inch threshold where Georgia code requires a cricket behind the chimney to divert water.

Water damage appearing on the ceiling of the family room, about three feet behind the fireplace. Not at the chimney face, but behind it. The homeowner had a handyman apply roofing cement around the chimney base twice over the past two years. The leak returned after each attempt.

The chimney flashing at the front and sides was holding adequately. The problem was behind the chimney — no cricket had ever been installed despite the chimney exceeding the 30-inch width threshold. Every heavy rain pooled water against the rear face where it found its way under aging flashing and through the deck. The chimney crown had also developed deep cracks that were letting water enter from above, further saturating the masonry. The chimney cap was rusted through on one corner.

Built and installed a properly framed cricket behind the chimney — plywood sheathing, ice-and-water shield, and shingles matched to the existing roof. Replaced the rear base flashing and step flashing with 15-inch-wide sheet metal per Georgia code. Applied a crown sealant rated for North Georgia's freeze-thaw cycles. Installed a new stainless steel chimney cap with proper spark screen.

No recurrence through an entire year of North Georgia weather — including the heavy fall rains that the Lake Lanier area is known for. The homeowner spent less on the permanent fix than he'd spent on three rounds of failed caulking. Structural cause versus symptom treatment — that's the whole difference.

What We Handle on the Roofing Side of Chimneys

Our chimney work covers everything that connects the chimney to the roof system: complete flashing replacement with step flashing woven into shingle courses and counter flashing embedded in mortar joints — not surface-caulked. Chimney cap installation and replacement using stainless steel units. Crown repair and sealing. Cricket installation behind any chimney over 30 inches wide as Georgia code requires. We assess visible masonry condition from the roof level and will tell you directly if what we see warrants a mason — we don't take on structural brick and mortar work, but we won't leave you guessing either.

For full repair services, see our roof repair page. Chimney leaks usually involve flashing — our free inspection will identify exactly what needs to happen.

Water showing up near your fireplace? Call (678) 766-9646 — we'll trace where it's actually coming from.