Honest chimney repair for Andover Lakes homeowners

The crown is the roof of a masonry chimney

The top of a masonry chimney is its roof. Homeowners call it the crown, and the Florida Building Code calls it the chimney cap. The code wants it made of concrete, metal or stone, pitched so water runs off, with a drip edge and a caulked bond break at every flue liner.

Every part of that list does a job. The slope sends rain off the top instead of letting it sit. The drip edge lets water fall clear of the brick faces below. The bond break keeps the liner and the cap from being locked into one rigid piece.

Wear tends to show at the surface and the edges first, as cracks, crumbling corners or low spots where water now stands. Our chimney crown repair service handles the fix, and the estimate for homes in Andover Lakes says which part of the crown has failed and whether it can be repaired or has to be replaced.

Options for relining a masonry flue

When a flue needs a new lining, the Florida Building Code keeps the choice to a short list of materials for ordinary residential appliances. The choice starts with the appliance, because the lining has to suit whatever is connected to it.

The size and shape of the existing flue, any bends in it and how much sound masonry remains narrow the choice further. Listed materials are installed per their listings and the maker's instructions, so the product chosen also fixes how the job is done.

Our chimney liner installation service lays out which of the options below fit your chimney. Each one is priced on the estimate so the decision stays yours.

• Clay flue lining, rebuilt inside the chimney
• A listed and labeled chimney lining system
• A factory-built chimney unit listed for use inside masonry
• Another approved material that resists the heat and condensate

A damper that will not open or close fully

A masonry fireplace is supposed to have a damper. Under the Florida Building Code it is a ferrous metal damper, installed in the fireplace or in the chimney that vents it, and operable from the room. A typical one is a metal plate in a frame just above the firebox, moved by a handle or a rod.

Rust sets in on the plate and frame, and then the damper sticks halfway, the handle turns without moving it or it closes with a gap. EPA wood-burning guidance lists a damper that is not open wide enough among the conditions under which creosote tends to build up. One that will not close leaves the flue open to the house.

Rust on a damper is also a clue that water is getting in from above, so the top gets a look too. Our chimney damper repair service decides between freeing the old damper and replacing it, and your Andover Lakes estimate lists the damper and any repair at the top as separate items.

Cleaning comes before a masonry flue repair

Under NFPA 211, chimneys, fireplaces and vents get looked at every year for soundness, built-up deposits and correct clearances, and they are cleaned, kept up or repaired wherever that look shows a need. Deposits sit in the same sentence as soundness for a reason. A flue lined with soot and creosote hides the surface you need to judge.

Cracked tile, open joints and flaking parging all sit under that coating. EPA wood-burning guidance says creosote tends to build up with restricted air, unseasoned wood and a chimney that runs cooler than normal, so a flue that has seen heavy use can carry enough of it to hide real damage.

That is why a repair on a used masonry flue normally starts with a sweep. Our chimney sweep service cleans the flue first, and the lining is judged bare. For your Andover Lakes home, the sweep and the repair appear as separate lines so the order of the work is clear from the start.