Leak through a chimney joint - how expensive to repair?

[CatAndHisKit]

Just had a 'nice surprise' of a leak in a bedroom! It's coming from the chimney breast along the ceiling (1st floor).

Had a look from tghe loft window and it's clearly happening along the joint of the chimney where it meets the roof - I think it was sealed with concrete there (Victorian house but don't know it this was redone - grey material but looks rough along the seam, not even). The chimney was looked after/capped by previous owners.

It needs some sort of sealant, but I never dealt with this before and no idea if sealant can be applied from above through loft window by some sort of pipe/long applicator - or is the only way to put a scaffold up?

Reallty have no fundfs to pay for scaffold. Leak isn't too bad atm, seems like it leaks only after certain amount of rain falls and gathers somewhere, not immediately whe it starts raining. Needless to say, been pouring down last week and today was the last straw!

If scaffolding needed, what's ab approx cost to the side of the 2 storey house (and half way along the roof)?

TIA for any info/advice.

Would there be access from the road with a cherry picker?

ah cherry-picker! I think it might be - they access the electricity post by the (same) corner of my house this way - the roof with chimney is towards the front but a bit further from the road (very small front garden) - it depends how far can the picker be moved sideways - and a bit higher! it does give me a bi of hope though.

could anyone advise what the actual repair might involve/cost please?

You need a good roofer.

The joint should be sealed with lead flashing.

Mortar will crack and fall out (as you have found)

some roofers engage a specialist leadman, if they are not themselves skilled.

The lead is let into a slot in the mortar joint between the bricks, dressed down the side of the chimney, and folded so that water runs onto the slates or tiles.

If you are offered glue, paint, sticky tape, or flashband (which is sticky tape), say no, unless you want to have it repaired again next year, and the year after, and the year after that.

ask around for personal recomendations from someone you trust. If you see a roofer working locally, WRITE DOWN THE ADDRESS THEY ARE WORKING AT and get the roofr's card. say you are not in a hurry and don't want it done yet. After they have finished at the house, go back and ask the homeowner how pleased (or not) they are. This is a reasonably good way to choose builders, though the homeowner probably has no way of knowing how well the job has been done for months.

Do not choose someone from an advertising website where they pay to be listed, even if it is disguised as a rating or checking site.

Never engage anyone who drives past and knocks on your door.

Never engage anyone who does not have a local landline phone number, and a local business address that you know exists.

...the right way.

may need replacing after 50-100 years.

We had this £450 for a repair

Thank you PJ, for the very detailed advice and the video! Having watched, the process doesn't take long but is quite a detailed work with all the cutting/measuring - so unlikely to be able to do from a cherry picker?
I thought they'd use concrete or whatever the mixture hat in the video is used for sealing the gaps between bricks.

Thanks, teahandsleep, was that for the lead work? and did they need scaffold? so was the 45 total with the scaffold, if they did use it?

450. I mean.

er, I think I meant cement, not concrete! that's what mortar is probably

I think it will be a mortar fillet. Mortar is what is used for bricklaying, it is made of fine sand and cement. It is not very strong.

Concrete is made of cement, fine sand, coarse sand, small stones and large stones, with the particle size increasing as you go. The thicker it is, the larger the stones can be.

The grey material is lead flashing. I know this as mine needs a repair although it's not leaking yet. I am watching with interest...

how do you know that? is there a photo I can't see?

PJ, yes I meant that, cement is the main substance of mortar - had a look again, and indeed there is no obvious metal there.
Harriet, I'll be calling the roofers tomorrow and will update - thankfully no rain this week so not dripping now.