leaking in the rain, help!

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kendallnmatt

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home built in 1947, bought with passed inspection less than a year ago but I'm starting to have my doubts about that....
1-The home has a brick chimney which runs from the basement through the center of the home, and is exposed in the 2nd floor bedroom. It vents water heater and furnace. Increasingly when it rains there is a huge puddle of water around the base of the chimney, it seems like it is leaking out of the very bottom because all the brick is dry. There are no water stains in the 2nd floor ceiling (which is an attic bedroom) and the brick there is also dry, leaving me to believe it's not the flashing? There is a cap or whatever on the vent on top of the chimney. How is water getting in the chimney, how's it leaking all over the floor, how do I make it stop?

2-Went downstairs this morning after a huge storm last night, found a leak coming from the ceiling in the basement. ?? It had mostly stopped when I found it but had a sizeable puddle accrued, was 2-3 feet in either direction from a front corner of the basement, no pipes or plumbing above it. How's that happening?

Thanks for any help at all!
-kendall
 
Water absorption in brick is a very common problem which can require tuck pointing of the mortar joints or even sealing the brick chimney chase with a masonry sealer. Flashing can be another source of water intrusion, but that usually shows up in the ceiling directly below.

If you are comfortable on roofs check the mortar joints and also the cap. If its a metal cap, sometimes they will rust.

And if you do venture on the roof, be extremely careful, gravity always wins.
 
I'd be checking the moter that holds the clay tile in place. if that leaks the water can run down inside the chimmney.
 
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