How a Roof Cricket Works
Picture a wide chimney sitting in the middle of a sloped roof. Without a cricket, the chimney acts like a dam: rain, melting snow, leaves, and pine needles all collect against its uphill face, where they sit and soak into the roof. A cricket fixes this by adding a small second peak directly behind the obstruction.
The cricket has two sloped sides that meet at a ridge running straight back into the main roof. That ridge splits the flow of water like the bow of a boat, sending it down both sides of the chimney and back into the field of the roof, where it can drain normally. Crickets are common behind chimneys, but they are also used behind skylight curbs, dormers, and where a lower roof meets a tall vertical wall.
Why Roof Crickets Matter in the Spokane Climate
The Inland Northwest is one of the harder environments for any roof penetration. Here in the Spokane and North Idaho area, a chimney without a cricket faces several climate-specific problems:
- Heavy snow load: Snow piles deep against the uphill side of a chimney and is slow to melt, keeping that area saturated for weeks.
- Freeze-thaw cycles: Trapped meltwater refreezes overnight, expands, and works its way under shingles and flashing, opening leak paths.
- Ice dams: The pocket behind a chimney is a natural spot for ice to build, backing water up under the roofing.
- Debris: Pine needles and leaves collect in the dead zone behind the chimney, holding moisture against the deck and accelerating rot.
A properly built cricket keeps that zone clear and dry, which is why building codes typically require one for chimneys wider than 30 inches.
Signs Your Roof Needs a Cricket (or a Repair)
If your chimney is more than a couple of feet wide and sits below the ridge, it should almost certainly have a cricket. Watch for these warning signs:
- Staining, rust streaks, or pooled water on the uphill side of the chimney
- Persistent snow or ice that lingers behind the chimney long after the rest of the roof has cleared
- Granule buildup, rot, or soft decking behind the chimney
- Interior leaks or water stains on ceilings near the chimney chase
A cricket is most often added during a roof replacement, when the decking and flashing around the chimney can be properly rebuilt and integrated, but it can sometimes be retrofitted as a targeted repair.
Crickets, Flashing, and Doing It Right
A cricket is only as good as the flashing tied into it. The cricket structure handles the diversion, but step flashing, counter-flashing, and a watertight underlayment are what keep the seams between the cricket, the chimney, and the main roof from leaking. Cutting corners on any of these is a common cause of chronic chimney leaks in our region.
As a GAF Master Elite contractor, DG Contracting builds crickets and chimney flashing to manufacturer specifications and backs the work with a 15-25 year workmanship warranty. If you are seeing water or ice trouble around a chimney, request a free estimate and we will inspect the area and recommend the right fix.