Family-owned chimney chase repair in Bal Bay

Chimney height when a chase is rebuilt

Rebuilding a chase brings up the height of the chimney above the roof. As one maker's example, DuraVent's DuraChimney II manual quotes NFPA 211 as saying a chimney extends at least three feet above the highest point where it passes through the roof and at least two feet higher than any part of a building within ten feet.

A rebuild that makes the chase shorter, or a roof change that raises the ridge beside it, can leave the chimney too low. The chimney maker's instructions for your system set the final termination details.

Our crew measures the termination before and after a rebuild and checks it against those instructions. If the chimney needs to be taller, the added listed sections appear on the estimate, so the finished height is part of the plan and not an afterthought.

Wood or gas, the chase shell is the same job

A chase can enclose the chimney for a wood-burning fireplace or the vent pipe for a gas unit. The pipe inside can be a different listed product in each case, with its own instructions, but the shell around it is the same framed wall with the same water problems.

What changes is what we check inside. The clearances, supports and top details come from the listed product in your chase, not from a general rule that fits every fireplace. A chase around a gas vent can still rot at the base, split at the siding joints and leak at the top, just like one around a wood-burning chimney.

Our crew identifies the product before planning the repair and keeps its instructions in front of us. The siding, sheathing and framing repair is priced the same way for either fuel. If the fireplace itself needs service, that is a separate visit on a separate estimate.

Ladders and scaffolding for tall chases

A chase on a two-story home can reach well above the second-floor eave, and working on it safely takes the right setup. Some jobs can be done from ladders and roof anchors. Others need scaffolding set on the ground or on a lower roof. Roof pitch, roof material and where the chase sits on the house all change the setup.

Scaffolding takes longer to set up, but it lets the crew reach every face of a tall chase with both hands free, which matters when a whole face is being stripped and reframed. It also keeps ladders off gutters and fresh siding.

Our crew plans access at the inspection and includes it in the estimate as a line of its own, so the day of the job holds no surprises. We protect landscaping and walkways wherever ladders and scaffolding stand at your Bal Bay home.

Selling or renting a home with a framed chase

A chase in poor shape can hold up a sale or cause trouble with a tenant. Visible rot, stained ceilings and a fireplace that cannot be used all come up during showings and walk-throughs. A buyer's inspector is likely to probe the same soft spots we do, and a vague note in a report can stall a deal. Sellers and landlords usually want a clear answer and a fixed scope, done on a schedule that works around move-outs, listing dates or tenants.

Our crew works with owners, agents and property managers to set access times and keep the work inside the agreed scope. You get a written estimate up front that you can hand to a buyer or keep in the rental file. For a rental, we can coordinate entry with the tenant, keep the fireplace out of use during the work and keep the owner updated as each stage is done.