Noticed something odd on a roof job in Spokane

Walked a 3-story commercial last week and the chimney cap was installed upside down, 30 years of soot buildup was actually holding it in place. Anyone run into that kind of install and have a safe way to correct it without dropping the whole stack?

2 comments

2 Comments

elizabeth_ramirez1mo ago

Man, that is a wild find. Thirty years of soot holding it up, that's the only thing keeping it from causing a bigger headache. Seriously, I've seen some questionable stuff on roofs, but an upside-down cap that's been cemented by time and creosote is a new one. If you can, try working from the top down with a pry bar and a torch to soften any old sealant, but keep a tarp and bucket under you just in case. Good luck, I hope you get it sorted without the whole thing coming apart.

wyatt_lee1mo ago

Damn, yeah that sounds like a proper nightmare. I've dealt with my fair share of chimney stuff over the years but never seen the cap flipped like that, it's like the universe just decided to mess with you. Hope you got some patience left cause prying that thing off without cracking the whole flue is gonna be a real test. At least you caught it before rain got in and made it ten times worse.