Chimney chase repair and framing work in Southern Oaks

Roof-mounted chases and chases on an outside wall

Some chases start on the roof. The fireplace sits inside the house, the chimney pipe runs up through the attic, and the framed box is built on top of the roof framing. Others are built against an outside wall and run from the ground or a lower roof up past the eaves.

The two types fail in different places. A roof-mounted chase leaks where its walls meet the roofing and at the top. A wall chase adds a long vertical seam against the house and a bottom edge that sits close to soil, mulch and sprinkler spray. Some chases combine both, starting on a lower roof and running up beside a second-story wall.

Our crew in Southern Oaks starts by working out which type you have and how it is supported. That decides where we probe first and whether other trades, like a roofer, belong in the plan.

Radiation shields at the top of the chase

Just under the cover, some chimney systems use roof radiation shields that protect the chase framing around the pipe. In DuraVent's DuraChimney II manual, they go at the top of the chase or where the chimney passes the roof, whichever is the top of the installation, and they do not reduce the required clearance.

Those shields sit on the same top framing that rots when a cover leaks. When the top plate or blocking is replaced, the shields come off and have to go back in their listed position.

Our crew removes and reinstalls the shields as the chimney maker directs, and replaces bent or damaged ones with listed parts. The shields go back before any cover does, so the top of a chase in Southern Oaks is rebuilt as one complete assembly.

Getting a chase ready for wind-driven rain

Wind-driven rain hits a chase from the side and pushes water into joints that stay dry in a straight-down shower. Loose siding, open trim gaps and lifted flashing let in far more water in a storm than on a calm day.

The time to find those weak spots is before heavy weather, not after the first leak. A walk-around check for loose boards, open joints and flashing that has lifted catches many of them while they are still small fixes. From the ground, look for boards that flap, trim that has pulled away and flashing edges you can see lifting.

Our technicians can look over the chase ahead of time and close small gaps before they become rot. If the inspection finds deeper damage, you get a written estimate and a plan to close the chase before heavy weather. If a storm is close, temporary protection comes first.

A family-owned crew on your roof

We are a family-owned and operated company, and locally owned. On a chase job, that shows up in how decisions get made. When a question comes up mid-job, like whether a stained stud can stay, you get a straight answer and a written price before anything changes.

Chase repairs run in stages, so there are several of those moments. Our crew shows you what the opened wall looks like, explains where the damage stops and waits for your approval before going past the estimate. You have one company to call about the job, and that company answers for the finished work. Our family-owned team treats a chase repair in Southern Oaks the way we would want our own house handled, with the yard protected, the debris hauled off and the plan in writing before the first board comes loose.