Family-owned chimney chase repair in Lake Richmond

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 Lake Richmond home. Until the seam is closed, both sides stay sheeted against rain.

What cracks in chase stucco can point to

Cracks in stucco on a framed chase mean something different from cracks on a block wall. A framed chase can move as the wood takes on and gives up moisture, and cracks often follow the edges of sheathing panels or run out from the corners of the top.

A few fine surface cracks can be sealed and painted. Cracks that are wide, stained or paired with a hollow sound usually mean water has been getting behind the stucco for a while, and the sheathing may be soft. Cracks running down from the top corners are worth tracing back to the cover edge.

Our technicians check cracks by tapping and probing around them, and by looking at the framing from the attic side where it can be reached. The written estimate says whether a crack is cosmetic or a sign of damage, and it prices each option.

Ladders and scaffolding for tall chases

A chase on a two-story home can reach well above the second-floor eave, and working on it safely takes the right setup. Some jobs can be done from ladders and roof anchors. Others need scaffolding set on the ground or on a lower roof. Roof pitch, roof material and where the chase sits on the house all change the setup.

Scaffolding takes longer to set up, but it lets the crew reach every face of a tall chase with both hands free, which matters when a whole face is being stripped and reframed. It also keeps ladders off gutters and fresh siding.

Our crew plans access at the inspection and includes it in the estimate as a line of its own, so the day of the job holds no surprises. We protect landscaping and walkways wherever ladders and scaffolding stand at your Lake Richmond home.

Keeping a repaired chase dry

A repaired chase stays sound when water keeps running off it. Most of what keeps a chase dry happens at ground level and in the gutters, not on the chase itself.

Sealant at siding joints and trim tends to wear out first, so it is worth a look from the yard now and then. A failed sealant joint caught early is a small fix, while the same gap left for years can reach a corner stud.

If you spot something new, call and our crew can take a look before it grows into rot. In between, a few habits do most of the work, and none of them need a ladder.

• Keep gutters and valleys around the chase clear of leaves
• Turn sprinkler heads away from wall chases
• Look over the chase from the yard after big storms
• Watch the ceiling near the fireplace for new stains