Family-owned chimney repair serving Riverside Acres

The metal top of a framed chase

The top of a chase is sheet metal, and on a factory-built chimney it is part of the system. One maker's instructions, DuraVent's for its DuraChimney II chimney, set the chase top flashing on spacers above the framing, leave a ventilation opening around the pipe, seal a collar to the pipe just above the flashing and place the chimney cap above that.

A flat or sagging top holds water, and rust starts where water sits, then runs down the siding as streaks. A top sealed tight to the pipe or pushed down onto the framing can also close off the ventilation space those instructions call for.

Replacing it means matching the chimney system underneath, not only the size of the box. Our chase cover replacement service checks the points below before a new top is specified, and the estimate lists the top, the collar and any framing repair as separate items.

• The chase size and the pipe diameter
• The collar and its seal to the pipe
• Rot or rust in the framing under the old top
• Clear ventilation space around the pipe

Cleaning comes before a masonry flue repair

Under NFPA 211, chimneys, fireplaces and vents get looked at every year for soundness, built-up deposits and correct clearances, and they are cleaned, kept up or repaired wherever that look shows a need. Deposits sit in the same sentence as soundness for a reason. A flue lined with soot and creosote hides the surface you need to judge.

Cracked tile, open joints and flaking parging all sit under that coating. EPA wood-burning guidance says creosote tends to build up with restricted air, unseasoned wood and a chimney that runs cooler than normal, so a flue that has seen heavy use can carry enough of it to hide real damage.

That is why a repair on a used masonry flue normally starts with a sweep. Our chimney sweep service cleans the flue first, and the lining is judged bare. For your Riverside Acres home, the sweep and the repair appear as separate lines so the order of the work is clear from the start.

Chimney questions to ask when you buy a home

A chimney can look fine from the street and still need work. Before closing, ask the seller a few direct questions, and ask for receipts or past estimates rather than a verbal answer. Paperwork tells you what was done and when.

The general home inspection that comes with a purchase may only cover what can be seen from the ground and the firebox. If there is no history at all, treat the chimney as unknown rather than sound, and budget for what a closer look may find.

A chimney inspection before closing turns those unknowns into lines with prices. Our crew can look at the chimney you are buying and write an estimate you can use in negotiation or for planning. Start with the seller questions below.

• When the chimney was last swept and inspected
• Repairs to the crown, flashing, flue or firebox
• Whether the flue was relined, and for which appliance
• Any past leaks or stains around the chimney

Splitting a long repair list into phases

An inspection on a neglected chimney can turn up a long list. Doing everything at once is not always possible, and it is not always necessary. The list can usually be split into phases without leaving the house at risk.

Some items cannot be split. Counterflashing is set into mortar joints, so repointing and flashing on the same face go together, and a new crown goes on after any rebuild of the courses below it, not before. The estimate marks which lines depend on each other, so the phases you pick still work as a sequence. Within those limits, the order usually runs like this.

• Safety first, such as loose masonry or a damaged flue
• Water entry next, at the crown, cap, flashing and joints
• Working parts after that, like the damper and cleanout
• Finish work last, such as cleaning and color matching