What’s the Purpose of a Chimney Cricket?
This mini-roof located on the backside of your chimney prevents water damage—how? Without the chimney cricket, this space would just be a downward slope of the roof that leaves a crevice against the chimney, the perfect place for water to collect. Pooling water is never good in any part of your home, and there’s a good reason to avoid it. When water collects and stays behind your chimney it will penetrate the brick masonry and roofing system. As you can imagine, water that seeps into your chimney and into the underlayment of your roof means that is will wreak havoc and cause plenty of damage over time. Water takes the path of least resistance. When a chimney cricket is in place, the water is forced to slope down the roof and be channeled off through the gutter system. There’s no pooling water, and thus, no water damage. Chimney crickets are made from materials like stainless steel, aluminum, or galvanized steel. With shingles that match the rest of the roof, chimney crickets blend right in. The majority of roofing contractors provide homeowners with extra shingles anyway, so if a chimney cricket needs to be added or repaired, a contractor will use the same shingles.Double Protection
The main purpose of the chimney cricket is to effectively channel water off of the roof and into the gutter system. There is an extra perk of having a chimney cricket, however—extra protection. Skilled and experienced contractors will be sure to install an ice shield behind the cricket, knowing that even if water is forced to run off in normal conditions, in extremely cold temperatures the water could freeze before it is channeled away. This tends to be a spot for ice to want to form, but with an ice shield composed of synthetic felt, your roof will have this extra bit of protection. Experienced contractors also know to install a leak prevention barrier by the chimney cricket. Although the peaked roof of the cricket will force water away, a leak prevention barrier should be added regardless. On top of the leak prevention barrier, the contractor will install the ice shield. With the shingles added on the top of the system, you’ll have three layers of protection from water damage.![what's the purpose of chimney cricket](https://vertical-chimney-care.lndo.site/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Chimney-Cricket.jpg)