Honest chimney repair for Baldwin Park homeowners

Chimney repairs and a new roof in the right order

If a new roof is coming, the chimney work should come first. Crown repairs, rebuilt courses, repointing and new counterflashing all happen at or above the roofline, and doing them after the roofers finish means working over and around brand new roofing at the base of the chimney.

Flashing is where the two jobs meet. The Florida Building Code requires flashing around roof openings, and at a chimney that means base flashing worked in with the roofing and counterflashing set into the masonry. Deciding who installs which layer before either trade starts keeps the laps in the right order and leaves no gap between them.

Mention the reroof at the free inspection. For homes in Baldwin Park, the estimate then puts the chimney work ahead of the roofing and says which flashing layer we install and which one belongs to the roofer.

A chimney leaning or pulling away from the house

A gap opening between a chimney and the wall of the house, or a stack that no longer looks plumb, is a sign of movement. BIA maintenance guidance names out-of-plane movement of masonry as a structural condition, one that generally calls for a professional engineer to find the cause.

A bead of sealant or foam in the gap is not a repair. It hides the gap while whatever is moving the chimney carries on. The cause can sit at the footing, in the connection to the house or in the stack itself, and each one calls for a different fix.

Our crew in Baldwin Park checks where the chimney has moved, at the base, at the roofline or both. The estimate names the movement as a structural concern, recommends an engineer's evaluation and leaves sealing or patch work off the list until the cause is known.

Changing the appliance means checking the flue

A flue is sized and lined for what it vents. Under the Florida Building Code, a chimney flue may not be smaller in area than the connector from the appliance, and a flue that served an open fireplace is not automatically right for a stove or an insert.

Swapping appliances is where mismatches start. Because the code ties the lining to the terms of the appliance listing and the maker's instructions, the new appliance's own manual carries part of the answer, and the chimney has to satisfy both the manual and the code.

If you can, bring the new appliance's model and manual into the conversation before it is bought. Our crew in Baldwin Park compares its flue requirements with the chimney you have, and the estimate spells out whether the existing lining can stay, needs repair or has to be replaced to suit it.

The cleanout door at the base of a flue

A small metal door at the bottom of a chimney, outside or in a utility space, is usually a cleanout. The Florida Building Code requires a cleanout opening close to the base of each masonry chimney flue, with a noncombustible cover, so ash and debris can be taken out. Fireplace flues that can be cleaned through the fireplace opening are the exception.

Cleanout doors rust, warp and lose their latches. One that is missing or hangs open gives animals and water an easy way in, and one rusted shut leaves debris sitting at the base out of sight.

Replacing the door is a small job, but the frame has to sit tight in the masonry so the new cover closes properly. The base of the flue is cleared first, then a noncombustible door and frame are fitted. Any of these signs puts the door on the estimate.

• A door that will not latch or close flush
• Rust holes or a warped frame
• Loose mortar around the frame
• Ash or debris spilling from the opening