# Chimney Counter flashing



## Jhinton (Dec 1, 2013)

When cutting in your counter flashing on a brick chimney or brick wall, what do most of you do? A step cut or a long straight cut? I have done both and I like the look of the long straight cut better but I am wondering if there are pros or cons to either that I might be missing.

I have attached some pictures from the net for examples. They are not jobs I have done.


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## Jhinton (Dec 1, 2013)

Also, I have decided I am going to cut a larger reglet. We have currently been using a 4" grinder with a diamond blade but the reglet is too small to fit the counter in properly. What does everyone else use? Do you just make multiple passes with a grinding wheel?


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## cleveman (Dec 28, 2007)

I think SuperSeal is the go to guy for this.

Calling SuperSeal...

Oh SuperSeal...


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## stombaugh85 (Jul 23, 2012)

For me it depends on the condition of the brick. If the brick is in good condition I'll straight cut the counter flashing. 

If the reglet cut is already there then I step it. 

Straight cut is faster and looks cleaner IMO

I also use a 4" grinder


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

either for me too..stepped being more traditional looks better on older house tho


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## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

I'm an either or guy too, it depends on what the chimney is made out of, and what I'm using for flashing. If it's a crappy chimney and aluminum flashing I just straight cut it. 

Then as far as counter flashing staying on, I have a million and a half different ways we do that too. 

Crappy ones usually we just pound pin termination bar around it, and nicer ones with coper flashing we hold it in the lead


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Old school masons would have your balls in a sling for slicing through brick but either way will work... 4 1/2" grinder with 4 1/2" blade tilted upward a bit whilst cutting.

For copper and aluminum or lead,...I'll use quad sealant or pack mud at the reglet.

Your work looks nice :thumbsup:


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## jaydee (Mar 20, 2014)

Is your reglet to narrow or shallow ?

width double up blade or get a wider one. 

I cut with a 4" grinder than make deeper with circular saw

I like the stepped look and usually use lead. 
this area doesn't have much copper chimney flashing


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

We have done both. Your work looks fantastic! I personally like the long one piece, but like mentioned before, it depends on the house. We use a 4 inch grinder and cut about 1" deep.


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## Roofcheck (Dec 27, 2011)

Those pics look nice. However a long cut is not the ideal way. Water will run down the chimney and all runs down the cut eroding the cut. 

Step is the only right way.


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## Tom M (Jan 3, 2007)

superseal said:


> Old school masons would have your balls in a sling for slicing through brick


Im an either or guy too but I admit cutting that brick bugs me. If the mortar goes your changing everything anyway but in my head I feel like bricks can be saved and repointed if you dont go cutting through them.

IDK


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## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

So is cutting into the brick/mortar depending on step vs straight common?

Around here, it is always stepped, and always nailed on and caulked at the top, and yes, they fail. I called my buddy who is a mason one time, to ask him if he'd ever done the flashing and what nails I was supposed to use to attach it, and he said he'd never heard of it being nailed on.
This is because he does good quality work and cuts into the mortar like you guys are talking about.

I had just never seen it done that way in my area. Obviously it's far superior to just nailing onto the side of the chimney.


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## Tom M (Jan 3, 2007)

I certainly have nailed it, and riveted it too. I never soldered it. A clean dry joint in the reglet and rivet in a critical spot or 2 and silicone will hold it just fine without nails.

Nails leaves big dings. If you must tack the nail into the groove not the facing.


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## WBailey1041 (Jan 31, 2014)

Xtrememtnbiker said:


> So is cutting into the brick/mortar depending on step vs straight common? Around here, it is always stepped, and always nailed on and caulked at the top, and yes, they fail. I called my buddy who is a mason one time, to ask him if he'd ever done the flashing and what nails I was supposed to use to attach it, and he said he'd never heard of it being nailed on. This is because he does good quality work and cuts into the mortar like you guys are talking about. I had just never seen it done that way in my area. Obviously it's far superior to just nailing onto the side of the chimney.


Same thing in NC. Try grinding into the mortar line and only using nails to hold the counter flashing in place while the mortar or (more commonly around here), the bead cures.


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## Stephen H (Feb 18, 2011)

We always grind the mortar joints and step the counter flashing up the side.

No offense to anybody here- but in my opinion the long straight cut diagonal up the side of the chimney looks bad.
horrible, really------- just not a look I want to be associated with.

mostly now we use copper-and the counter flashing is wedged into the reglet we grind with lead wool. then we pack the reglet with mortar--- or geocel.
when we have used heavy weight aluminum---we cut the reglet with a thin diamond blade-and we cut it about 1 inch deep. We slightly overbend the return on the counter flashing and spring it into place. done this way the flashing wedges itself into place without any help from us- but we will generally help it out with some aluminum roofing nails used as wedges driven into the reglet-followed by geocel

again- I think that long diagonal cut really looks wrong.
But
to be fair we are working on older houses-------- 1860's to 1950's and we like to do things traditionally.

I can see that on a more modern house that diagonal cut might look differently- but I can't believe scoring the brick like that is acceptable in the long run.

just my opinion,
Stephen


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

i think the main reason stepped is traditional is because 4'' grinders with diamond blades were kinda scarce a hundred years ago..


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

superseal said:


> Old school masons would have your balls in a sling for slicing through brick but either way will work... 4 1/2" grinder with 4 1/2" blade tilted upward a bit whilst cutting.
> 
> For copper and aluminum or lead,...I'll use quad sealant or pack mud at the reglet.
> 
> Your work looks nice :thumbsup:


you are one of the few masons i have ever know that flash their own work,most around here will not..to those i say ''you have no say'':whistling


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## Tom M (Jan 3, 2007)

Tom Struble said:


> i think the main reason stepped is traditional is because 4'' grinders with diamond blades were kinda scarce a hundred years ago..


True but the counter flashing is supposed to be set by a mason during installation so I think we have a case of lazy modern masons.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

Mason will tell you that's the roofers job..roofer says he just steps the sider counters


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## Jhinton (Dec 1, 2013)

Watch this video. We have started making our flashing like this. It took some time in the shop before we got all of our measurements down but I am very happy with the results.

We were using painted aluminum or galvanized and we still will use galvanized on what I would call "B" or "C" grade jobs but our "A" and "A+" jobs are all stainless steel or copper.

As for fastening, they all self lock together now like in the video. Before we used pins or stub nails and covered them with a dab of polyurethane caulking.

I seriously think I am the only one in the area that uses step flashing and counter flashing. Most of the time homeowners want to know why we "leave all of that metal showing", while their neighbors have none. 

I now have a flyer I give them (and their neighbor) that explains step flashing and counter flashing.


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