Chimney Cricket Installation in the Pacific Northwest

When a chimney interrupts the downward path of rainwater, runoff can collect along its uphill side instead of continuing toward the roof edge. A chimney cricket creates a raised, sloped structure behind the chimney that divides this flow and sends water around both sides, an especially useful drainage detail during prolonged Pacific Northwest rain.

Call or contact us online today to schedule an evaluation for chimney cricket installation.

Reasons You May Need a Chimney Cricket

Chimney width, roof slope, drainage patterns, and existing construction all affect whether a cricket is appropriate. An inspection can determine how water currently behaves around the chimney.

• Water collects behind the chimney. Ponding or slow drainage can keep the roof-to-chimney transition wet longer after rainfall.

• The chimney interrupts a large drainage area. A wide chimney positioned downslope from a substantial roof surface can receive concentrated runoff.

• Leaks keep appearing near the uphill side. Recurring moisture in this area may point to drainage or flashing problems that need closer inspection.

• Debris accumulates behind the chimney. Leaves, needles, moss, and sediment can collect where water flow is obstructed, increasing the chance of drainage problems.

• The existing cricket is damaged. Deteriorated roofing, flashing, or framing can prevent an older cricket from directing water effectively.

The PNW’s Local Chimney Cricket Installer

A chimney cricket, sometimes called a roof cricket or saddle, is a small peaked structure built on the uphill side of a chimney. Its two sloping surfaces split runoff and direct it toward the chimney sides, where water can continue down the roof.

Proper chimney cricket installation requires more than building a raised section behind the masonry. The cricket must work with the roof slope, chimney dimensions, roofing material, and flashing assembly. Poorly configured transitions can create new places for water to enter even if the cricket redirects surface runoff.

Guardian can evaluate these conditions as part of its chimney services. The inspection should consider where water approaches the chimney, whether debris collects behind it, and how the existing roofing and flashing handle that flow.

Roof Cricket Design

A cricket needs enough slope to move water toward its sides rather than creating another flat drainage area. Its size and geometry depend in part on the width of the chimney and the pitch of the main roof.

The roofing over the cricket also needs to integrate correctly with the surrounding roof covering. Valleys created where the cricket meets the main roof become drainage channels, so those transitions require careful construction.

Cricket Flashing

Roof cricket installation and chimney flashing work together. Flashing helps prevent water from entering at the joints between the chimney, cricket, and main roof while the cricket changes the direction of runoff.

Step flashing, counterflashing, and other details may need to be incorporated depending on the existing assembly. When metal around the chimney has already deteriorated, Guardian’s chimney flashing repair and replacement service can address those components as part of correcting the water-entry problem.

Replacing A Damaged Chimney Cricket

An existing cricket may need replacement if its roofing has failed, framing has deteriorated, or the structure no longer directs water correctly. Signs of trouble can include damaged roofing, persistent debris accumulation, visible deterioration, or leaks around the uphill side of the chimney.

Removal can also expose conditions that were hidden beneath the old assembly. The surrounding roof deck and chimney transition should be checked before the replacement cricket is covered and flashed.

Managing Water Around The Chimney

A cricket addresses runoff approaching the chimney from above. It does not correct every source of chimney moisture. Water can also enter through damaged flashing, cracks in the crown, deteriorated mortar, or porous masonry.

If inspection identifies absorption through exposed masonry rather than poor roof drainage, chimney sealing may be appropriate. Water redirected by the cricket eventually continues toward the roof edge, where properly functioning gutters carry runoff away from the structure.

Why Choose Guardian for Chimney Cricket Installation?

Guardian Roofing, Gutters & Insulation has served Pacific Northwest homes since 2005. Because a chimney cricket affects both roof drainage and the flashing surrounding a roof penetration, its installation needs to account for how those components work together during rainfall.

Guardian can inspect the existing chimney transition and determine whether the project requires a new cricket, replacement of an older cricket, flashing corrections, or another repair related to the source of the leak.

Call 877-926-9966 to schedule a chimney cricket inspection and improve water diversion around your chimney.