Chimney chase repair from framing to finish in Malibu Groves

What a full chase rebuild involves

A chimney chase rebuild follows a set order. The fireplace is taken out of use, the cover and chimney cap come off, and the siding and sheathing are stripped down to the framing. Rotted framing is replaced and the box is squared and braced around the chimney pipe.

Firestops, shields and supports inside the chase are checked and reset to the chimney maker's instructions along the way. For homes in Malibu Groves, the full sequence is laid out in the written estimate before work starts. The new chase goes together in this order.

• New framing laid out to keep the listed air space around the pipe
• New sheathing, barrier and flashing at the roof and house wall
• The chosen siding or stucco, trim and paint
• A new or reset cover at the top, priced as its own line

The insulation shield at an insulated attic

When a factory-built chimney passes through an insulated attic, the insulation has to be held back from the pipe. Florida's code, in R1005.8, calls for an insulation shield that keeps insulation at the clearance the chimney maker specifies, and where the chimney passes through attic space, the shield ends above the insulation.

DuraVent's DuraChimney II manual, as one example, calls for its attic insulation shield where the chimney passes into an attic, unless the chimney is fully enclosed through the attic. The same maker's DuraTech instructions say an installed shield must be high enough to cover current or future insulation. Insulation added in later years is worth checking against the shield height.

On roof-mounted chases, our technicians look at the attic side of the chimney during the inspection when it can be reached. A missing or buried shield is written up with the chase repair, since the two share the same opening.

Gutters and valleys that dump water on a chase

Roof water does not always land where it should. A valley that ends beside a chase, a gutter that overflows onto a lower roof next to it or a downspout that empties at its base can pour far more water on one face of the chase than rain alone.

That extra water finds the flashing and siding joints first. A chase that sits in a heavy run of roof water can rot at the base while its other faces stay dry. Splash marks, dirt lines and worn paint low on one face are the clues that point to it.

Our crew looks at where the roof sends water around your chase. Where a valley or gutter is the problem, we suggest changes like a diverter or a moved downspout and coordinate with your roofer or gutter installer. The chase repair is priced on its own line.

After a storm tears siding off the chase

High wind can strip siding, trim or stucco off one face of a chase and leave the sheathing bare. Rain that follows goes straight into the wall, so a quick temporary cover can limit how far the water gets. Loose pieces on the roof can slide off in the next gust, so they are gathered up before anything else.

Storm damage is a good time to check the whole chase, not only the torn face. Wind that pulled siding loose may also have loosened fasteners, lifted flashing or bent the cover on another side. Siding or trim that landed on the roof may have scraped or punctured the roofing, which your roofer should see.

Our crew puts temporary protection in place, then inspects the full chase and writes a repair estimate that separates fresh storm damage from older rot. That split shows plainly what the storm did and what was already there before it.