Honest chimney chase repair for Camellia Gardens homes

How a failed top sends water down the chase

When the metal top of a chase leaks, the water does not stay at the top. It runs down the inside face of the sheathing, along the studs and onto whatever sits at the bottom of the box, like the roof deck or a framed floor. Some of it can follow the outside of the chimney pipe toward the fireplace.

That is why a leak at the top can show up as rot at the bottom. The wood near the cover may look fine while the base plate has gone soft.

Replacing the cover is a separate job with a separate line. Our part is the wood and finish the water already reached. We trace the path from top to bottom so the repair covers everything that got wet, and not only the spot closest to the leak.

A written estimate that names every layer

A chase repair quote that only says repair chase leaves too much open. Our written estimates break the job into the layers of the wall, so you can see what is being replaced and why.

Each line carries its own price. If the cover needs replacing, it appears as a separate job, and so does any roofing a roofer handles. That makes it easy to compare quotes on the same work and to see what the repair includes at your Camellia Gardens address.

A stucco finish is broken out into barrier layers, lath and coats instead of a single stucco line. Access, protection and cleanup are listed too, so the total has nothing tucked inside it. A typical estimate covers these lines.

• Siding, stucco or trim, by face and area
• Water-resistive barrier and flashing
• Sheathing and framing, with the expected extent
• Cover replacement or roofing as separate lines

Charred or darkened wood near the pipe

Wood inside a chase should look like ordinary framing lumber. Framing near the chimney pipe that is dark brown, charred or brittle has been exposed to more heat than it should. Possible reasons include a pipe that has shifted, an air space that has been filled or a shield that is missing.

If you find charred wood near the pipe, stop using the fireplace until the cause is found and fixed. If you ever see smoke or flame coming from the chase walls, or notice fire in the walls, get everyone out of the house and call 911.

Heat-damaged framing is replaced, and the reason behind it is found and corrected before the chase is closed. The pipe position, the clearance and the listed parts are all checked, and the findings go into the written estimate so you can see what caused the damage and what the repair covers.

Using a hose test to check a chase repair

When a leak has been hard to pin down, a hose test is one way to check a repaired chase. One area is wetted at a time, starting low and working up, while someone watches the attic or the ceiling where the stain appeared. Each area gets enough water to act like a steady rain on that face before the hose moves up.

Testing low first matters. If water is run over the top first, it drains down and wets everything below, and the source gets lost. It also keeps anyone from blaming the top for a leak that starts at the base flashing.

A dry result is a good sign, but a garden hose cannot copy every wind-driven rain, so it confirms a repair rather than guaranteeing it. When a test is part of the job, the estimate says so, and any water it turns up is traced while the tools are still out.