Family-owned chimney chase repair in North Orange
Rebuild or repair, our family team prices both for North Orange homes and backs the work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
- Licensed & insured
- Locally run
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service available
Chase work written up for North Orange homeowners
- Siding removed and reused where boards are sound
- Stucco rebuilt in three coats over new lath
- Cricket behind a wide chase where needed
- Paint on new siding and trim
Building a chase back the right way
Front and back flashing that follows the shingle maker
The downslope face of a chase gets an apron flashing that lies over the shingles, and the upslope face gets a back flashing or a cricket. Under R905.2.8.4, chimney flashing on a shingle roof is applied following the asphalt shingle manufacturer's instructions.
So the details can change with the shingle brand, and a repair should follow the instructions for the roof you actually have. A bead of tar along the joint is not flashing. It usually hides a gap rather than closing it, and it can trap water against the siding.
We look at the apron and back flashing whenever the lower chase siding is off. Your estimate states whether that flashing is reused, replaced or left for a roofer, so nobody assumes someone else handled it. If the apron has been caulked or tarred over, the old material comes off so the flashing can be judged properly.
Giving water that gets past the siding a way out
Siding and stucco both let a little water through. Section R703.1.1 of the Florida Building Code describes an exterior wall that keeps water from building up inside it, using a water-resistive barrier plus a way to drain water that gets past the cladding back to the outside.
On a chase, that drainage path ends at the bottom edge of the siding or at the flashing on the roof. If the bottom edge is caulked shut or buried in roofing cement, water that should drain out stays in the wall.
We check that the base of each chase wall can drain. Sealant that blocks the path comes out, and the bottom edge is detailed so water leaves the wall at the flashing. That detail is written into the estimate, so it does not get lost between trades.
Letting each stucco coat cure before the next
Stucco gains strength as it cures, and the Florida Building Code sets minimum waits between coats. Under R703.7.4, each coat is kept moist before the next one goes on. Under R703.7.5, the finish coat on three-coat work goes on no sooner than seven days after the second coat. Both sections make an exception for work installed per ASTM C926.
Those waits are why a stucco chase repair takes more than one visit. The scratch coat is scored so the next coat grips, and the chase stays covered between visits. On hot or windy days, keeping a fresh coat moist takes more attention, so the crew plans that work for the cooler part of the day where it can.
We plan the schedule around curing time and tell you how many trips the job takes before it starts. The fireplace stays out of use until the wall is closed and the top is sealed, and the timing is part of the written estimate.
Charred or darkened wood near the pipe
Wood inside a chase should look like ordinary framing lumber. Framing near the chimney pipe that is dark brown, charred or brittle has been exposed to more heat than it should. Possible reasons include a pipe that has shifted, an air space that has been filled or a shield that is missing.
If you find charred wood near the pipe, stop using the fireplace until the cause is found and fixed. If you ever see smoke or flame coming from the chase walls, or notice fire in the walls, get everyone out of the house and call 911.
Heat-damaged framing is replaced, and the reason behind it is found and corrected before the chase is closed. The pipe position, the clearance and the listed parts are all checked, and the findings go into the written estimate so you can see what caused the damage and what the repair covers.
Other work in North Orange
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Quick answers on chimney chase repair
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.
What happens to the chimney pipe while you work on the chase?
The pipe stays in place and is protected while the framing around it is replaced. Our crew keeps the listed air space clear and puts firestops, shields and supports back where the chimney maker's instructions call for them.
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