There are many components to the systems installed by roofer companies to create a sound, leak-proof roofing installation.
From ridges to rafters and soffits to flashing, roofers advise that all of these parts make up a complete system that protects a home by preventing the passage of water under the main roofing materials and into the living space.
One lesser-known part of some roofing systems according to the roofer services that install them is a cricket, also known as a roof saddle, that protects certain areas of the roofing installation.
What Is A Roof Cricket?
In the simplest explanation, a roof cricket is a roof ridge designed by roofer companies to direct water away from chimneys and similar protrusions that extend up from the surface of the roof.
Humorously named after the lovable character Jiminy Cricket due to the similarity to the phrase “chimney cricket,” these saddle ridges provide important protection for chimneys that protrude through pitched roofs by covering the back side of the chimney, preventing water from collecting where the back of the chimney meets the roof.
What Does The Area Around Chimneys Commonly Leak?
Chimneys are common locations where roofer services see leaks and widespread water damage, as it is challenging to protect their high sides from the presence of water.
Even after it finishes raining, water can sit in the crease behind the chimney for days, prematurely aging the shingles and eventually resulting in water damage.
Even the best flashing and sealant installed by roofers can sometimes fail in these locations.
In the worst cases, it can lead to a chimney collapse or widespread water damage like rot and substantial leaks under the roof.
How Do Roof Crickets Help Prevent Leaks?
Roof crickets installed by a roofer service can prevent this damage and keep a chimney dry and leak-proof by covering the high side of the structure and directing water away from it and down the pitch of the roof.
Designed by roofer companies to look like a small dormer extending from the roof surface and meeting the back of the chimney, roof crickets are designed to have the same pitch as the roof itself so they look aesthetic while preventing the water rolling down the roof from collecting behind the chimney.
Water rolls down the roof pitch, then onto the cricket and down the additional pitch to slide around the back of the chimney and continue down the roof.
Ask Your Roofer If Your Roof Needs a Roof Cricket!
Roofers advise that roof crickets can be instrumental in protecting chimneys and roof installations, especially in regions that see frequent or heavy rains.
Any house with one or more chimneys that extend through the surface of a pitched roof should be protected with a cricket behind each structure.
Homeowners experiencing leaks around their chimneys or who wish to avoid them can hire an experienced roofer service to install helpful crickets that will protect their installations and chimneys from costly water damage!