Installing A Roof Cricket

By Robert Robillard on Roofing

Installing A Roof Cricket

What Is A Roof Cricket?

Before installing a roof cricket you first should understand what it is, and why it is important.

A roof cricket is a ridge structure, designed to divert water on a roof. Roof crickets are found on the high side of a chimney, or when one roof meets another. The roof cricket is normally the same pitch as the rest of the roof, but not always. Roof crickets can be covered with metal flashing or with the same material as the rest of the roof. Crickets are also often referred to as “saddles” in this context.

Installing A Roof Cricket

When the chimney is at the bottom of a roof slope or has roof sloping into it I always install a cricket. Below are some pictures of a roof cricket I installed.

 

Installing A Roof Cricket

 

Roof Crickets Prevent Roof Leaks 

Chimneys are notorious for leaking, and the culprit is almost always the sheet metal flashing. It doesn’t take an expert to spot problems—simply look for water-stained ceilings or other telltale signs of leaking in the vicinity of your chimney.

Because chimneys are such a potential trouble spot, consider installing a roof cricket, as well as, inspect them once every year or two. When inspecting; look for loose or missing flashing and cracks in the masonry. Small cracks can be sealed with caulk designed to repair masonry, larger cracks or missing mortar should be re-pointed.

How To Build A Roof Cricket

This chimney pictured below is on a Main Street Concord house. A leak caused rot roof sheathing rot, ant infestation and plaster damage in a bedroom below

We determined the cause of the leak to be several things; lack of an adequate waterproof underlayment [rubber ice and water shield], fatiguing lead chimney flashing and the lack of a roof cricket.

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About the author

Robert Robillard

Carpenter / Remodeler / Editor

Rob Robillard is “The Concord Carpenter” Rob is a builder, general contractor, carpenter, woodworker, and editor of Concord Carpenter and ToolBoxBuzz As a General Contractor and carpenter, Rob owns and operates Concord Carpenter LLC. A full-service remodeling and construction company. Rob is a recognized leader in home building best practices and a source for how-to information for building professionals. On this website, Rob covers all aspects of home construction, building science, home improvement, woodworking, remodeling, and some of the best product and tool reviews. Rob is in charge of our Tool and Product Review series - Concord Carpenter Videos where we post all of our tool reviews and video tutorials. Rob approaches remodeling and building construction with a pragmatic and problem-solving approach. He enjoys using his knowledge and experience to help and educate building professionals as well as DIYers on best practices in the construction and remodeling industry. He's a strong advocate for "raising the bar" in the construction trades and promoting the trades to youth. #BeAMentor #Green2Great Craftsmanship, quality, and pride guide his journey on this channel The Concord Carpenter's motto: "Well done is better than well said!" : Read more about Rob

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