Serving Fort Worth's historic Fairmount bungalows to the newer builds off I-820 — proper water diversion for wide chimneys, done right the first time.
Fort Worth chimneys take a beating between hailstorms rolling off the plains, high spring winds, and the freeze-thaw swings that shift our clay soil year after year. On wide chimneys — common on both the century-old masonry homes in Fairmount and Ridglea and the larger suburban builds near Tanglewood — that constant movement combines with a design flaw builders often overlook: no cricket, or saddle, to push water around the up-slope side of the stack. Without one, water and debris pool against the brick every time it rains, and over time that standing water works its way into the roof deck and the chimney itself. Lowes Chimney Sweep installs correctly sized chimney crickets across the Fort Worth area, tying them into the roofline and flashing so water sheds the way it should instead of collecting where it can't.
Any chimney wider than about 30 inches, measured across the up-slope side, is a candidate for a cricket. Rain hitting the roof above a wide chimney doesn't just slide past — it backs up against the masonry, forming a small dam. Leaves, pine straw, and grit collect in that same low spot, holding moisture against the brick and the flashing below it. Given enough freeze-thaw cycles, that trapped water is exactly what pushes mortar joints apart and eventually finds its way into the attic.
Fort Worth's chimney problems aren't uniform because the housing stock isn't. In Fairmount and Arlington Heights, many chimneys date to the early 1900s and were built wide and tall to match the original roof pitch — a style that's handsome but notoriously prone to water pooling once original flashing details fail. Around the TCU area and Near Southside, mid-century homes often have shallower roof pitches, which makes any water diversion problem worse since runoff has less speed to carry debris away. Newer suburban construction farther out isn't immune either; even a properly built chimney can end up without an adequate cricket if the original roofer under-sized it. Add in North Texas hail seasons and the wind gusts that come through ahead of spring storms, and a missing or undersized cricket in Fort Worth tends to turn into a leak faster than it would in a milder climate.
A cricket has to be sized to the exact width of the chimney and the pitch of the roof, then flashed so it becomes one continuous water path with the surrounding shingles or standing seam. Get the angle wrong, or skip proper step flashing along the sides, and you've just built a new spot for water to collect instead of solving the original problem. During installation we tie the cricket's flashing into the existing roof flashing and, where needed, coordinate with crown repair or cap replacement so the whole top of the chimney is sealed as one system rather than a patchwork of separate fixes.
Serving Fairmount, Ridglea, Tanglewood, and every neighborhood in between across Fort Worth.
(214) 225-8874If any of that sounds familiar, it's worth pairing a cricket evaluation with a full chimney inspection — our guide on spotting the early signs of a chimney leak covers what else to look for before the next storm rolls through.
Chimney services with us start at $99, and cricket installation pricing depends on a handful of real factors rather than a flat number: the width of the chimney, the roof pitch and material it needs to tie into, how much of the existing flashing can be reused versus replaced, and whether access requires extra staging on a steep or multi-story roof. A chimney on a 1910s Fairmount cottage with an original clay-tile roof is a different job than a low-slope suburban roof near Tanglewood, and we price each one after actually seeing it. We'll always give you a clear, upfront number before any work starts — request a Free Online Quote or call (214) 225-8874 and we'll walk you through what your specific roof and chimney need.
"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.
As a general rule, any chimney measuring more than about 30 inches across the up-slope side should have one. This is especially common on the older, wider masonry chimneys found in Fairmount and Arlington Heights homes, where original construction predates modern flashing standards.
Yes, when it's built and flashed correctly, a cricket is one of the more durable parts of the chimney system since it sheds water and debris rather than holding it against the brick. We size and flash each one to handle the wind-driven rain and hail that North Texas storms regularly bring through.
Yes, cricket installation ties into your existing roof and flashing without requiring a full roof replacement. On historic homes we're careful to match the tie-in to the original roofing material so the repair blends in rather than standing out.
Flashing seals the joint between the chimney and roof, but on a wide chimney flashing alone can't stop water from pooling on the up-slope side — that's the cricket's job. Many Fort Worth homes need both addressed together for the fix to actually hold.
Possibly — a wide chimney can trap water and debris for years before a leak becomes visible inside the house, especially with our freeze-thaw cycles slowly working mortar loose in the meantime. Catching it during an inspection, before staining shows up, is usually the cheaper path.
Straight answers from our DFW chimney pros before you book.
