Chimney chase repair and rebuilding in South Orange

Corner boards and trim that pull away

Corner boards and trim cover the edges of the siding. When they shrink, warp or pull away, they leave a slot that funnels water straight onto the end grain of the siding and the sheathing edge behind it.

Trim at the top of the chase and around the base takes the heaviest wetting. A gap you could slide a coin into can soak the corner stud over a few seasons. Water that enters at the top of a corner board runs down behind its full length before it shows at the bottom.

For homes in South Orange, our technicians test each trim piece with a probe and pull any that are soft. New trim is primed on every side before it goes up, and joints are sealed where the siding maker calls for it. Trim is priced apart from siding so you can see the difference on paper.

What cracks in chase stucco can point to

Cracks in stucco on a framed chase mean something different from cracks on a block wall. A framed chase can move as the wood takes on and gives up moisture, and cracks often follow the edges of sheathing panels or run out from the corners of the top.

A few fine surface cracks can be sealed and painted. Cracks that are wide, stained or paired with a hollow sound usually mean water has been getting behind the stucco for a while, and the sheathing may be soft. Cracks running down from the top corners are worth tracing back to the cover edge.

Our technicians check cracks by tapping and probing around them, and by looking at the framing from the attic side where it can be reached. The written estimate says whether a crack is cosmetic or a sign of damage, and it prices each option.

Brick veneer around a metal chimney

Some chases are faced with brick or stone veneer, so the chimney looks like masonry from the street. Inside, it is still a framed box around a metal chimney pipe, with the veneer tied back to the framing.

R703.8 of the Florida Building Code generally limits anchored stone and masonry veneer over wood framing to the first story above grade plane, and it lists exceptions. When a veneer chase is rebuilt, the height of veneer on wood framing is one of the first things we check against the code.

Repairs to a veneer chase cover both the masonry face and the framing behind it. Our crew checks the ties, the flashing at the base of the veneer and the wood behind, and the estimate separates veneer work from framing work. Any veneer that has pulled away from the framing is taken down and relaid on sound ties.

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