I have a limestone house with a beautiful limeston chimney. I've had it for 10 years and it leaks like a f-in sieve. It leaked when I moved in and I bought some polymeric caulking for any big holes in the mortar that I saw. Then I used a paintable sealant on the mortar joints and followed that up with a solvent based sealant on the entire thing. Until the GD hurricane, it was holding fine. Now, its leaking again.

I have no idea if they forgot to put some internal flashing to kick seeping water back out or what, but I can't really afford to do it over. I can, however, afford to put something over it if it will solve my problem. My question is...what? Hardiboard siding? I don't give a damn what it looks like. I need it to be sealed. I can't imagine people reseal their chimneys every 5 years and I know others' don't leak.

For now, for less than 100 bucks, I can do what I did before, but its a bandaid. I need it fixed. I tried like hell to get someone out to fix it right, but never could find a soul to do it. Apparantly its not a big enough job or something.

It is flashed and has a cricket. And yes, before any smartasses show up, I have absolutely considered Flex Sealing the dog **** out of it.

It is definitely leaking THROUGH the mortar joints. There are no weep holes. There is no weep flashing of any sort that I can see.

Any ideas on what to do or fix? I need a company to just pull off all teh f-ing limestone and start over from the water barrier to the flashing and redo it all.

You need to have it repointed. Hire a good stone crew and they can make it like new.

Thats what I thought at first too....but the mortar isn't crumbly. Its all fine. Its solid. There are a couple of spots where mortar was never put...flat out missed...but I gobbed those with caulking. It seems to me that considering that stone and mortar are highly porous, anything getting behind needs to be kicked back out through weepholes.....mines leaks into the chimney chase, down the structure and ends up as a long stain along the drywall/roof rafters. I can see inside the chase and there is ZERO internal flashing. Tar paper used as water barrier, but thats it.

That is weird. I would get a stone mason to come look at it. Masonry is porous to a point but not where it should leak like you describe. I suspect you have a flashing issue.

Cow Hop Ag said:

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That is weird. I would get a stone mason to come look at it. Masonry is porous to a point but not where it should leak like you describe. I suspect you have a flashing issue.

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Not weird. Half-assed. Anyone have any recs for GOOD stone masons in the Houston area?

I was being polite.. I know some guys in the Hill Country that would come down there.

I'll second having someone look into the flashing. Also the kricket may not be big enough, that was a problem we ran into before.

The last time I checked I was able to spray a water hose over the limestone on the side of the chimney and get water inside without ever having it pass over the cricket. I think internal flashing is screwed. Or missing. I'll find someone local to take a look.

This shouldn't be rocket science right? Any decent stone Mason should know how to fix it right?

They will. I would be tempted to remove the stone down to the roof line / flashing and have it rebuilt. That way you know what it is in there.

Right, that's what I would think. For now, the hourly towel change and re-direct seems to be minimizing the effects.

Now I get to wait for the river. I hope this is all I have to worry about.

My brick chimney leaked several gallons into my first floor, I'm thinking about tearing it down for good.