Water-Stained Ceiling Solved by a Code-Compliant Crown & Flashing Rebuild

Problem

An early-1980s two-story with a spreading water stain on the second-floor ceiling beside the chimney. A roofer had already replaced shingles twice with no change, and the homeowner was about to spend on interior drywall before the real water path was found.

Diagnosis

Our inspection isolated the source above the roofline, not below it: the mortar-wash crown had cracked and was shedding water into the brick instead of away from it, and the original flashing had no proper step-and-counter detail at the masonry junction. Type N mortar and freeze-thaw cycling had pulverized the crown from within — sealing it would have been a band-aid, so we specified a full rebuild to code.

Solution

• 01Documented the water path with inspection photos before any demo
• 02Removed the failed crown down to the top course of brick
• 03Poured a new code-compliant crown in Type S mortar with a 2" overhang and drip edge
• 04Re-flashed the roof junction with proper step + counter flashing
• 05Applied vapor-permeable masonry waterproofing to the chimney exterior

Outcome

No new staining through the following wet season. Because the water path was photographed end-to-end, the homeowner could finally repair the drywall knowing the leak was actually stopped — and received full before/after documentation and a transferable workmanship warranty.