Chimney chase repair with a written estimate in Lake Terrace

Where water gets into a framed chase

Rot inside a chase traces back to a water path. Finding every path matters more than the size of the stain, because a repair that closes one route and leaves another open will be wet again after the next hard rain.

Each path gets checked during the free inspection on your Lake Terrace home, and each one gets its own note in the written estimate. That way you can see which line closes the leak and which line repairs the damage the water caused. Wind direction matters too, since the face that takes the weather tends to leak first. These are the routes our technicians trace.

• A failed metal cover that lets rain run down the inside
• Open butt joints and split boards on the walls
• Gaps at corner boards, trim and the seam with the house
• Roof-line flashing that is missing, bent or lapped backwards

Open siding joints that let rain behind the finish

Siding on a chase takes wind-driven rain on all four sides, and the joints are the weak spots. Butt joints, where two boards meet end to end, open up as the boards dry and shrink. Nail holes near those ends can let water into the board itself. Joints in the lowest course and just under the top tend to take the most water.

Once water is behind the siding, the barrier underneath has to carry it down and out. If that barrier is torn or missing, the sheathing takes the water instead.

On a chase in Lake Terrace, our crew looks at every joint on every face, including the side nobody sees from the street. Open joints on sound boards can be sealed or backed with flashing. Boards that are swollen or split at the ends are replaced, and the barrier behind them is checked before new siding goes up.

Fiber-cement siding joints on a chase

Fiber-cement siding holds up well on a chase when its joints get the right detail. For panels, R703.10.1 puts vertical and horizontal joints over framing and protects them with caulking, battens, flashing or shiplap. For lap siding, R703.10.2 protects the ends with caulking, an H-section joint cover or a strip of flashing behind the joint. Fasteners follow the code table or the maker's instructions.

An unprotected joint lets water reach the cut edges and the sheathing behind them. Face nails driven too deep break the surface and give water another way in.

We cut and seal new fiber-cement pieces as the maker directs, protect the joints and set nails flush. Paint follows soon after installation, so no bare edge is left out in the weather. The estimate names the siding product and the joint detail we will use. Where old and new pieces meet, the joint is detailed the same way, so the patch does not become the next leak.

What the free chase inspection covers

Our free inspection is a real look at the chase, not a sales stop. A technician walks the house, gets on the roof where it is safe, probes the siding and base, checks the flashing and the top, and looks at the attic and fireplace side where there is access.

You get the findings in plain language and a written estimate that lists each layer, the cover and any roofing work separately. There is no charge for the inspection and no pressure to book. If the chase is sound, we tell you that too. We also note the chimney maker and model from the label, so the estimate follows the right instructions.

Homeowners in Lake Terrace can ask for the free inspection whether the chase shows a clear problem or only raises a question. If you are not home for the roof part, the findings come to you with the written estimate.