Honest chimney repair for Bay Hill homeowners

Rebuilding the top from the roofline up

When the damage sits in the stack above the roof, a partial rebuild can start at the roofline. The failed masonry comes down to sound courses, and the new brick goes up with the flashing details and the top built in from the start.

A rebuilt top is built to the Florida Building Code's rules for termination and caps. The chimney has to rise high enough above the roof it passes through and above nearby parts of the building, and a masonry chimney is finished with a concrete, metal or stone cap that has a drip edge and slopes to shed water.

Rebuilding is also the moment to correct a top that was never right, such as one built too short or finished with a flat, thin layer of mortar. This work belongs to our chimney rebuild service, and while the top is open it is covered at the end of each work day, with the debris cleaned up and hauled away. The estimate lists the courses that come down, the new cap and flashing and how the new brick will be matched to the old.

Insulation and a metal chimney in the attic

Where a factory-built chimney passes through an insulated ceiling, the Florida Building Code calls for an insulation shield that holds insulation back at the clearance the chimney maker specifies. In an attic, the shield has to stand above the insulation and be secured so it cannot shift.

Attic work is where this gets undone. Blown insulation is topped up and piles against the pipe, a shield gets knocked loose or wiring is run along the chimney. DuraVent's instructions for one of its chimneys say never to fill the required air space with insulation or any other material, and to keep wiring and building insulation away from all chimneys.

Our technicians check the attic run whenever the chimney is part of a repair. They look for the three things below, and anything out of place goes on the estimate with its fix.

• A shield in place where the pipe enters the attic
• Insulation held back from the pipe on every side
• No wiring, boxes or stored items against the chimney

Carbon monoxide alarms and a fuel-burning fireplace

CDC advice is to install battery-operated or battery back-up carbon monoxide detectors near every sleeping area in the home. NFPA heating safety tips say to install and maintain CO alarms, and they add that all fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside to avoid CO poisoning. A home with a fireplace or any other fuel-burning appliance needs them.

An alarm that goes off is not a chimney question. Get everyone out of the house and call 911 from outside. The cause gets tracked down only after the fire department has cleared the home.

Where a chimney comes in is venting. CDC guidance notes that chimneys can be blocked by debris, which can cause carbon monoxide to build up inside a home, and a cracked liner or a damper stuck closed can also keep combustion gases from leaving the way they should. Our technicians check those parts during the free inspection, and any fault that affects venting goes to the top of the estimate, ahead of cosmetic work.

Loose brick above a door or walkway

A loose brick, a cracked piece of crown or a tilted cap over an entry, a patio or a driveway is a falling hazard before it is a repair. Brick Industry Association maintenance guidance counts chimneys among the parts of a building with more severe exposure, which may need repairs at shorter intervals.

When you describe it, say where it sits over the house, what has already come down and whether people walk under it. That tells us how soon the visit is needed and where a ladder can go safely. Keep the area below clear in the meantime.

Loose masonry over a path goes to the top of the estimate, ahead of cosmetic items and even ahead of some leak repairs. The first step is taking down or securing what is loose, then rebuilding on sound material. That order is explained before any work, and nothing begins until you approve it.