Honest chimney chase repair for Audubon Park homes

Corrosion-resistant lath under chase stucco

Stucco on a framed chase hangs on expanded metal or woven wire lath fastened through the barrier into the framing. Under R703.7.1, lath and its attachments have to be corrosion resistant. The lath is what holds the whole stucco skin to the chase.

When lath rusts, the stucco can lose its grip. You may see rust bleeding through the finish, cracks that follow the lath lines or a panel that bulges away from the wall. Once the lath is badly rusted, patching the surface does not bring the hold back. Rusty lath often shows first at the base and around the top, where water sits longest.

Our crew cuts back to lath that is still sound. New lath and fasteners are corrosion resistant and lapped into the old at the edges. The estimate states how much lath is being replaced, so you can compare it with the area of stucco coming off.

Repairing the chase or rebuilding it

Many chases can be repaired section by section. A full chimney chase rebuild makes more sense when rot runs through most of the framing, the chase is out of plumb, the finish is failing on every face or you want to change the size or finish anyway.

A rebuild strips the chase down to the chimney pipe, replaces the framing and sheathing, and finishes the box new. It also resets the flashing, the barrier and the top framing, which a patch cannot always reach. A rebuild also lets the new framing be laid out cleanly around the pipe, with every clearance, support and shield set fresh.

Our technicians price both options when both are reasonable, so you can compare. We tell you plainly when a repair would only buy a short time, and when a rebuild is more than you need. Either way, the choice is yours, made with both prices in hand.

Getting a chase ready for wind-driven rain

Wind-driven rain hits a chase from the side and pushes water into joints that stay dry in a straight-down shower. Loose siding, open trim gaps and lifted flashing let in far more water in a storm than on a calm day.

The time to find those weak spots is before heavy weather, not after the first leak. A walk-around check for loose boards, open joints and flashing that has lifted catches many of them while they are still small fixes. From the ground, look for boards that flap, trim that has pulled away and flashing edges you can see lifting.

Our technicians can look over the chase ahead of time and close small gaps before they become rot. If the inspection finds deeper damage, you get a written estimate and a plan to close the chase before heavy weather. If a storm is close, temporary protection comes first.

The paperwork worth keeping after a repair

Once a chase is repaired, most of the work is hidden behind new siding or stucco. Siding hides framing, stucco hides lath, and the next person to look at your chase will not know what is behind either unless it is written down.

Keep the paperwork with your home records. The written estimate names each layer, and any approved change adds what turned up once the chase was opened. Together they tell the next inspector, a buyer or a future repair crew what went into the wall. For homes in Audubon Park, our estimates are written layer by layer partly for this reason.

If you sell the home, those papers give the buyer's inspector answers instead of guesses. These are the details worth keeping together.

• Which faces were opened and how far
• The framing, sheathing, barrier and flashing replaced
• The siding or stucco system and the paint color
• The chimney maker and model, and any listed parts replaced