Family-owned chimney repair serving Dover Manor

Masonry chimney or factory-built system

Two chimneys can look alike from the yard and be built in completely different ways. A masonry chimney is built on site from solid brick, block grouted solid, stone or concrete, and the Florida Building Code sets how it is constructed, anchored, supported and lined. A factory-built chimney is a metal system that is listed and labeled, and the code requires it to be installed and terminated according to its maker's instructions.

That difference decides every repair method and every part. Masonry is repaired with mortar, brick, flue lining and a sloped cap on top. A factory-built system stays within its listing, so repairs follow the maker's instructions for that model and use the parts they call for.

The outside finish does not settle the question, because the code also covers masonry used as a veneer over a framed chimney. Our crew confirms the construction at the start of each visit and names it at the top of the estimate, so every line below it follows the right rules.

What you can check safely from the ground

You can learn a lot about a chimney without a ladder. Walk around the house, stand back far enough to see the whole stack and use binoculars for the top. BIA maintenance guidance recommends binoculars for observing upper areas up close, along with sketches and notes of what you see. It also suggests looking in different seasons, since some conditions only show in certain weather.

Stay off the roof. Nothing you could see from up there changes what happens next, and loose masonry and a pitched roof are a poor mix. Write down where you saw each thing and bring the notes to the free inspection, where our crew in Dover Manor checks each point you raise up close.

• Mortar that is missing or sits back from the brick face
• Rust streaks running down from the top
• A gap where the chimney meets the house wall
• Plants, stains or white deposits on the brick

What the free inspection covers

The free inspection is a top to bottom look at the chimney, not a quick glance at the one symptom you called about. It costs nothing, and nothing is booked or started until you have a written estimate in hand and say yes.

Our technicians first identify the construction, masonry or factory-built, because that decides which parts, code sections and maker's instructions apply. Then each symptom is traced back to the part causing it, rather than stopping at the first likely suspect.

The estimate names each finding, the repair and its price, so homeowners in Dover Manor can decide what to do and when. The look takes in the parts below.

• Cap, crown and the top of the flue
• Flashing and the roof line around the chimney
• Brick, stone, stucco or siding and its joints
• Firebox, damper and smoke chamber from below

When the 24/7 emergency line makes sense

Our 24/7 emergency line is for chimney problems that cannot wait for a regular visit. A section of masonry that has fallen or is about to, water pouring in around the chimney or a chimney struck by a falling limb all qualify.

Fire and smoke are a different matter. If there is a fire in the chimney or smoke filling the room, get everyone out and call 911 first. The fire department comes before any chimney company, and the chimney is looked at only once they say the house is safe.

When you reach the line, describe what happened, where it is on the house and whether anything is still coming down or coming in, so the visit to your Dover Manor home can start at the right spot. In the meantime, keep everyone away from it and stay off the roof.