When a home inspector sees tar around the chimney are the vent stacks, or roof vents, it usually means one of two things: The roof leaked there and this was a repair or that the person who did the roof was not a professional and trained roofer. A professional roofer might, on occasion, use tar more like glue -- putting it under a shingle to hold it down. That way UV cannot get to it. But the wide use of tar is discouraged. Sunlight kills it quickly and before long you have a rough surface, with penetrations, that might lead to water collecting and penetrating. Now, if someone gets up there every year and re-coats it, it might last for some time without a leak. But the heavy use of tar like in the photo below is, in itself, a concern.
Steven L. Smith
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Marlene,
I am still here. The daughter will not be taking over for about 3 weeks. A professional roofer neatly trims and flashes without using tar. A proper roof vent will have shingles neatly trimmed around it and plumbing stacks and chimneys will have custom flashings as well. In a situation such as in the photo, most people will just continue to tar periodically until a new roof goes down. A few might choose to have a roofer upgrade such locations.
Good info..we can always learnsomething new..
Thanks
While some debris obscures them, here is a group of roof appurtenances that are done professionally, without tar being applied all over.