Your chimney chase repair crew in Signal Hill
Our technicians probe the whole chase, not only the stain, so your Signal Hill estimate matches the real repair.
- Licensed & insured
- Locally run
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service available
What we check on a framed chase
- Two-layer barrier behind stucco on wood sheathing
- Sheathing replaced back to firm wood
- Wiring or insulation moved out of the clearance
- Ladder, roof anchor or scaffold access
How we repair chimney chases in Signal Hill
Step flashing along the sides of a roof chase
Where a chase wall runs down the slope of a shingle roof, the joint needs flashing that works with each course of shingles. Florida's residential code, in R905.2.8.3, requires sidewall flashing by the step-flashing method or with continuous L flashing.
Step flashing uses one bent piece per shingle course, each lapped over the one below, so water is handed down the roof. The upright leg runs up the chase wall behind the barrier and siding. When siding is nailed through that leg, or the flashing sits on top of the siding, water gets behind it.
When our crew opens a chase base in Signal Hill, the side flashing is checked piece by piece. Bent or corroded pieces are replaced, and the siding goes back with the right lap. If the roof itself needs work, we coordinate with your roofer.
Flashing that laps the right way and drains out
Flashing on a chase works by lapping. The upper layer goes over the lower layer, so water runs down and out instead of behind. R703.4 of the Florida Building Code calls for flashing applied shingle-fashion or per the maker's instructions, placed so water stays out of the wall cavity and away from the framing.
The same section says flashing extends to the surface of the exterior finish. A flashing that ends behind the siding can dump water onto the sheathing instead of outside.
We check laps at the base, around trim that breaks the wall and where the chase meets the house. A reversed lap can stay hidden until the rot is deep, so our crew points out each one we find and corrects it in the new work. Trim ledges and horizontal joints get a small flashing that kicks water out past the siding face.
Corrosion-resistant lath under chase stucco
Stucco on a framed chase hangs on expanded metal or woven wire lath fastened through the barrier into the framing. Under R703.7.1, lath and its attachments have to be corrosion resistant. The lath is what holds the whole stucco skin to the chase.
When lath rusts, the stucco can lose its grip. You may see rust bleeding through the finish, cracks that follow the lath lines or a panel that bulges away from the wall. Once the lath is badly rusted, patching the surface does not bring the hold back. Rusty lath often shows first at the base and around the top, where water sits longest.
Our crew cuts back to lath that is still sound. New lath and fasteners are corrosion resistant and lapped into the old at the edges. The estimate states how much lath is being replaced, so you can compare it with the area of stucco coming off.
Framing that carries the chimney load
A factory-built chimney has real weight, so the framing that holds it matters. R1005.5 of the Florida Building Code says that where joists, rafters or other structural members support a factory-built chimney, those members are designed to carry the added load.
Depending on the system, the weight of the pipe may rest on the fireplace or on a support anchored to the framing. DuraVent's DuraChimney II manual, as one example, anchors its supplementary support to nearby building framing. When chase framing that carries a support has rotted, that load has to come off safely before the wood is replaced. Temporary blocking or bracing holds things in place while old wood comes out and new wood goes in.
Our crew identifies what carries the pipe before any framing is cut. Supports tied to rotted wood are reattached to new framing sized for the load, following the chimney maker's instructions. Support work is noted on its own in the estimate, and the pipe stays braced the whole time the wood is being changed.
Other work in Signal Hill
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What homeowners ask about chase work
How do you price damage you cannot see yet?
The estimate prices what the inspection can confirm and explains how hidden damage is handled. If opening the chase shows more rot, we stop, show you and write up the added work with its price. Nothing extra is done until you approve it.
Do you charge to look at my chase?
No. The inspection and the written estimate are free, with no obligation to book the repair. If the chase only needs small fixes, we tell you that too.
Request your free estimate
Share the job details and arrange a free inspection with our local team.
- Free inspection
- No hidden fees
- Family owned and operated
Need an answer now? Call (352) 675-6376
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