Honest chimney chase repair for South Eola homes
Framing, sheathing, barrier, flashing and finish, each priced on its own line before a single board comes off.
- Licensed & insured
- Locally run
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service available
Chase repair lines priced before any work
- Probe test of siding, corners and the chase base
- Siding removed and reused where boards are sound
- Cricket behind a wide chase where needed
- Cover replacement listed as its own line
Chase repair facts for South Eola homes
Rot along the top plate under the cover
The top plate is the horizontal framing at the very top of the chase walls. The metal cover rests on it, and it is the first wood to get wet when the cover leaks or rain blows past the edge. Rot often starts at the corners, where end grain soaks up water.
A soft top plate lets the cover sag, which holds more water and speeds up the rot. It can also pull fasteners loose from the siding just below it.
We check the top plate by hand whenever the cover is off. If it is soft, the plate and the upper ends of the studs are replaced before any cover goes back on. The cover shows up as its own line, so you can tell which job stops the leak and which one repairs the wood it already reached.
The water-resistive barrier behind the siding
Behind the siding of a chase there should be a water-resistive barrier, a sheet of building paper or house wrap over the sheathing. R703.2 calls for at least one layer, continuous behind the siding, and felt or similar sheet barriers go on horizontally with the upper layer lapped over the lower one.
Siding sheds most rain, but some gets past it sooner or later. The barrier is what catches that water. When the barrier is torn, lapped backwards or taped in the wrong order, water behind the siding goes straight into the sheathing.
Our crew in South Eola replaces torn or brittle barrier in every section we open and laps the new sheet into the old in the right order. Small tears are patched by slipping the new piece under the layer above it. Where the barrier was missing entirely, we tell you so, and the new barrier gets its own price.
A chase pulling away from the house
A gap opening between a chase and the house wall is a sign the chase has moved. Typical causes are rotted sill plates on a wall chase, loose connections to the house framing or a soft base under a cantilevered chase. On a roof chase, the gap may also show as a split where the chase siding meets the house siding at the roof line.
The gap lets water straight into both walls, and a chase that keeps moving can stress the chimney pipe inside it. It should be looked at before more rain gets in, and the fireplace should stay out of use until it is.
Our technicians measure the gap, open the joint and find what let the chase move. The fix may be new sill framing, new connections to the house framing or a partial rebuild. You get the reason and the repair in writing before we start.
The ventilation gap at the chase top stays open
Some chimney systems need air to move around the pipe at the top of the chase. DuraVent's chase top flashing, for example, leaves a ventilation opening around the pipe and sits on spacers above the chase framing. Other systems use different parts at the top, which is why we read the instructions for the one in your chase.
A repair that seals that gap with caulk, foam or a tight wood block works against the design. It blocks the ventilation air that the manual says the opening is there to provide, right where the framing is closest to the pipe.
When our crew rebuilds the top framing, we leave the openings and spacers the chimney maker calls for. If an earlier repair sealed them, we note it and open them back up. The cover itself is a separate job, and whoever fits it has to respect the same gaps.
Other work in South Eola
-
-
-
-
-
-
Before you book chase repair in South Eola
Do I need a new cover on top when the chase is repaired?
Only if the cover has failed or no longer fits the repaired top. When it has, the cover goes on its own estimate line and is installed after the top framing is sound. If the cover is in good shape, we take it off carefully and put it back.
Can you match my existing siding or stucco?
We match profile, texture and color as closely as the materials allow, and we tell you before the job how close that will be. When an exact match is not available, we price options like re-siding one full face or painting the whole chase.
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
Your request is received
Thank you. We will contact you to discuss the job and confirm an appointment.