Water and leaves piling up behind a wide chimney? A cricket diverts it before it causes leaks — installed right for Dallas roofs.
On the up-slope side of a wide chimney, the roof creates a trap. Rainwater running down the roof hits the back of the chimney and has nowhere to go, so it pools, and leaves and debris collect there and hold moisture against the flashing and masonry. A cricket — also called a saddle — is a small peaked structure built behind the chimney to split that water and send it cleanly around both sides. On wide chimneys, it's not a luxury; it's how you prevent a leak that's otherwise waiting to happen.
The wider the chimney, the more roof water is funneled against its up-slope face, and the harder that water works on the flashing and brick. Without a cricket, three things happen over time: water ponds and finds its way through the flashing joint, debris dams up and traps moisture against the masonry, and in winter, that trapped water freezes and accelerates masonry damage. Building codes generally call for a cricket on chimneys past a certain width for exactly this reason. If your chimney is wide and doesn't have one, the back of it is a chronic leak risk.
Proper cricket installation for wide Dallas chimneys.
(214) 225-8874A cricket has to be built and integrated, not just set on the roof. We frame the saddle to the correct size and pitch for your chimney's width and roof slope, so it actually divides the water, then tie it into the roofing and flashing so there's no new seam for water to exploit. Done correctly, it becomes a permanent part of the roof that quietly does its job through every Dallas storm. Done as an afterthought, it just moves the leak — which is why the integration with the flashing matters as much as the cricket itself.
Cost depends on the width of the chimney, the roof pitch, the roofing material, and how the flashing ties in — and you'll get a clear quote before we build it. Weighed against repeated leak repairs and the water damage a chronically wet chimney back causes, a properly built cricket is a one-time fix that pays for itself by ending the problem at its source.
"Very pleased with the professionalism and promptness of service. The chimney sweep was done quickly and efficiently at significantly less cost than the first quote I got from another company. Happy to recommend Lowes Chimney Sweep to anyone in Plano!"
"Outstanding chimney sweep service from start to finish. They were punctual, courteous, and left our chimney spotless with no mess in our home. I won't use anyone else for chimney services in Dallas TX!"
More reviews from homeowners across the metroplex are on our reviews section, or learn more about our team before you book.
It's a small peaked structure — also called a saddle — built on the up-slope side of a chimney to divert roof water around both sides instead of letting it pool against the back. On wide chimneys it prevents the leaks and masonry damage that trapped water otherwise causes.
If it's wide and water or debris collects behind it, very likely yes. The wider the chimney, the more roof water is funneled against its back, and building codes generally require a cricket past a certain width. Recurring leaks or staining on the uphill side are a strong sign one is needed.
Flashing seals the roof-to-chimney joint; a cricket keeps water from ever pooling at that joint in the first place. They work together — a proper cricket installation ties new flashing into the saddle so the whole back of the chimney sheds water rather than collecting it.
Water ponds against the back of the chimney and works through the flashing, debris dams up and holds moisture against the masonry, and in winter that trapped water freezes and speeds up brick and mortar damage. The up-slope side becomes a chronic leak risk without a cricket to divert the water.
Yes. We frame the saddle to the correct size and pitch for your chimney's width and roof slope and integrate it with the roofing and flashing, so it becomes a permanent part of the roof. The key is proper integration — a cricket tied in correctly ends the problem rather than moving the leak.
Straight answers from our DFW chimney pros before you book.
