Chimney chase repair for Horizon West homeowners
Stucco over a framed chase rebuilt with two barrier layers, corrosion-resistant lath and three full coats.
- Licensed & insured
- Locally run
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service available
Siding to framing, what gets priced
- Siding removed and reused where boards are sound
- Stucco rebuilt in three coats over new lath
- Cover replacement listed as its own line
- Added work priced in writing before it starts
Chase repair facts for Horizon West homes
The seam where the chase meets the house
A chase built against the house has a long vertical seam where its side walls meet the house wall. The house siding, the chase siding and the barrier behind each of them all have to overlap in the right order. When they do not, water runs into the seam and down into both walls.
Typical signs are swollen siding along that seam, paint that peels in a vertical line and staining inside the house near the fireplace wall. The seam can also leak where the house roof or a gutter meets the chase.
We open the seam far enough to see how the barrier layers were joined. If the house wall is damaged too, we show you where it stops and list it separately. The estimate covers the chase side and names any house-wall work, so there are no surprises at your Horizon West home. Until the seam is closed, both sides stay sheeted against rain.
Radiation shields at the top of the chase
Just under the cover, some chimney systems use roof radiation shields that protect the chase framing around the pipe. In DuraVent's DuraChimney II manual, they go at the top of the chase or where the chimney passes the roof, whichever is the top of the installation, and they do not reduce the required clearance.
Those shields sit on the same top framing that rots when a cover leaks. When the top plate or blocking is replaced, the shields come off and have to go back in their listed position.
Our crew removes and reinstalls the shields as the chimney maker directs, and replaces bent or damaged ones with listed parts. The shields go back before any cover does, so the top of a chase in Horizon West is rebuilt as one complete assembly.
Decorative shrouds on top of the chase
A decorative shroud is a metal housing set over the chimney termination to dress up the top of a chase. It looks good, but it also changes what surrounds the top of the chimney. R1005.2 allows decorative shrouds at the termination of a factory-built chimney only where the shroud is listed and labeled for that specific chimney system.
An unlisted shroud can also hold water or debris on the chase top, right above the framing we are there to repair. A shroud also has to come off for any work on the top framing, so its fasteners and condition get noted.
When a chase with a shroud is repaired, our crew looks for a listing label that matches the chimney. If there is none, we explain the code limit and your options, from removing it to a listed replacement from the chimney maker. Whatever you choose, the shroud is priced as its own line and dealt with before the top framing is closed.
Leaving the fireplace off while the chase is open
While a chase is open, the fireplace below it should not be used. Shields and firestops may be off, the air space is disturbed while framing is replaced and the chimney top may be uncovered. A tag on the fireplace is a simple reminder for everyone in the house.
The same goes for the time between finding serious damage and fixing it. A chase with charred framing, a shifted pipe or a missing shield should not see another fire until it is repaired. Heat from a fire rises straight into the top of the chase, which is the part most likely to be open or missing its shields during the job.
Our crew tells you when the fireplace in your Horizon West home can be used again, which is after the chase is closed, the listed parts are back in place and the top is sealed. Until then, leave the tag on.
Other work in Horizon West
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Chase repair questions we hear
Do I need a new cover on top when the chase is repaired?
Only if the cover has failed or no longer fits the repaired top. When it has, the cover goes on its own estimate line and is installed after the top framing is sound. If the cover is in good shape, we take it off carefully and put it back.
Do you work with my roofer?
Yes. Flashing at the chase base sits between the roof and the chase, so we agree with your roofer on who replaces which pieces before work starts. The written estimate spells out that split.
Request your free estimate
Share the job details and arrange a free inspection with our local team.
- Free inspection
- No hidden fees
- Family owned and operated
Need an answer now? Call (352) 675-6376
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