Chimney chase repair and framing work in Pine Castle

How a failed top sends water down the chase

When the metal top of a chase leaks, the water does not stay at the top. It runs down the inside face of the sheathing, along the studs and onto whatever sits at the bottom of the box, like the roof deck or a framed floor. Some of it can follow the outside of the chimney pipe toward the fireplace.

That is why a leak at the top can show up as rot at the bottom. The wood near the cover may look fine while the base plate has gone soft.

Replacing the cover is a separate job with a separate line. Our part is the wood and finish the water already reached. We trace the path from top to bottom so the repair covers everything that got wet, and not only the spot closest to the leak.

Approving added work before it is done

Hidden damage is part of chase work. Once the siding is off, the rot may reach further than the probe showed from outside. What matters is how that news reaches you. A careful probe narrows that risk, but it cannot see through sound siding into a soft stud.

Our rule is simple. If opening the chase shows more damage than the estimate covers, we stop, show you what we found and write up the added work with its price. Nothing extra happens until you approve it.

The change is added to your written estimate, so the final bill matches what you approved line by line. If you choose to stop at the approved work, we close the chase properly and note what was left. The written change covers these points.

• What we found and exactly where
• The added materials and labor, with a price
• How the change affects the schedule
• What happens if you decide to wait

Where the chimney passes a closet or room

On some homes the chimney pipe passes through a closet, a storage area or a bonus room on its way up. DuraVent's manual says interior chimneys are enclosed where they run through closets, storage or occupied spaces, and the enclosure keeps the required air space around the pipe.

Those inside enclosures are part of the same chase. A leak at the top can show up as a stain on a closet wall, and boxes stacked hard against a thin enclosure can press it toward the pipe. A closet enclosure also hides the pipe from view, so nobody notices when something has been pushed up against it.

When a chase repair reaches inside the house, our crew checks the enclosure walls, the air space and the firestops at each level. Drywall repairs in finished rooms are listed separately. We also suggest keeping stored items off the enclosure.

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 Pine Castle 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.