Chimney chase repair with a written estimate in Bel Air

Corrosion-resistant flashing and fasteners

Flashing and fasteners on a chase sit against wet wood and damp air, year after year. Under the Florida Building Code, metal flashing has to be corrosion resistant, both on walls under R703.4 and at roof intersections under R903.2.1. Stucco lath and its attachments have to be corrosion resistant too, under R703.7.1.

Plain steel nails and bare steel flashing can rust, stain the siding and lose their hold. A rusty streak below a nail head is often the first mark you notice on painted siding. Once a nail rusts through, the siding it held starts to move and the hole it leaves lets in water.

Our crew uses corrosion-resistant fasteners and flashing made for exterior work, and follows the siding maker's fastener instructions where they are more specific. Your Bel Air estimate names the flashing material, so you know what went into the wall.

Vinyl siding on a chase and room to move

Vinyl siding shows up on plenty of chases because it is light and easy to match. It moves as it heats and cools, and how it is nailed has to allow for that movement. Under R703.11.1, vinyl siding and its accessories go on following the siding maker's instructions.

Vinyl nailed too tight can buckle and pull away at the corners, opening gaps for rain. It also hides what is behind it, so a chase can look fine while the sheathing underneath has gone soft. A panel that has cracked or pulled loose at a corner is the usual first clue.

Our crew removes and reuses vinyl where the panels are sound and rehangs everything the way the maker spells out. For homes in Bel Air, the estimate notes whether matching panels are still available. Broken pieces are cut out and replaced without stripping the whole wall where the panels allow it.

Soft studs and plates inside the chase

Studs and plates are the bones of a chase. Rot in framing tends to start at the ends, where end grain drinks water, so the bottom plate, the lower ends of the studs and the top plate are the places to check first. Corners matter too, since two walls share the corner studs and both drain toward them.

A stud that takes a probe easily, feels spongy or crumbles in hand has lost its strength. Several soft studs in one corner can let the chase sag or twist, which opens the siding joints and lets in even more water. A soft top plate also lets the cover settle.

Our crew in Bel Air replaces rotted plates and studs with new lumber, or sisters sound new wood alongside where the old stud is damaged at one end only. We tell you which method fits each stud, and why, before the wall is closed.

Approving added work before it is done

Hidden damage is part of chase work. Once the siding is off, the rot may reach further than the probe showed from outside. What matters is how that news reaches you. A careful probe narrows that risk, but it cannot see through sound siding into a soft stud.

Our rule is simple. If opening the chase shows more damage than the estimate covers, we stop, show you what we found and write up the added work with its price. Nothing extra happens until you approve it.

The change is added to your written estimate, so the final bill matches what you approved line by line. If you choose to stop at the approved work, we close the chase properly and note what was left. The written change covers these points.

• What we found and exactly where
• The added materials and labor, with a price
• How the change affects the schedule
• What happens if you decide to wait