Chimney chase repair with a written estimate in Stoneybrook Hills

Telling a framed chase from a masonry chimney

Plenty of homeowners are not sure which kind of chimney they have, and it changes the whole repair. A masonry chimney is solid brick or block with a flue inside. A framed chase is a wood box around a metal pipe.

If the chimney turns out to be masonry, the job belongs to a different repair, and we tell you so on the spot. Stucco over block is patched as masonry work. Stucco over a framed chase in Stoneybrook Hills is part of chase repair, because the wood behind it is what fails. These clues sort it out from the ground.

• Siding or stucco that matches the house walls, with no brick joints
• A flat sheet-metal top instead of a poured concrete crown
• A round metal chimney cap rising from the top instead of a clay flue tile
• A metal firebox with a maker's label inside the fireplace opening

Vinyl siding on a chase and room to move

Vinyl siding shows up on plenty of chases because it is light and easy to match. It moves as it heats and cools, and how it is nailed has to allow for that movement. Under R703.11.1, vinyl siding and its accessories go on following the siding maker's instructions.

Vinyl nailed too tight can buckle and pull away at the corners, opening gaps for rain. It also hides what is behind it, so a chase can look fine while the sheathing underneath has gone soft. A panel that has cracked or pulled loose at a corner is the usual first clue.

Our crew removes and reuses vinyl where the panels are sound and rehangs everything the way the maker spells out. For homes in Stoneybrook Hills, the estimate notes whether matching panels are still available. Broken pieces are cut out and replaced without stripping the whole wall where the panels allow it.

What the attic side of the chase can show

On a roof-mounted chase, the attic is the one place to see the chase from inside without opening a wall. Wet stains on rafters around the chimney, dark wood on the roof deck, damp insulation or daylight around the opening all say something about the chase above.

Looking into an attic means staying on the framing and keeping clear of the chimney pipe and any wiring. If the attic is hard to reach, leave it for the inspection. Blown insulation can hide the joists, so step only where you can see framing.

During the free inspection for homes in Stoneybrook Hills, our technicians check the attic side when there is a safe way in. What we find is written into the estimate next to what we saw on the outside of the chase. A damp spot on the attic floor under the chase is often the clearest sign that water is getting past the chase walls.

Keeping a repaired chase dry

A repaired chase stays sound when water keeps running off it. Most of what keeps a chase dry happens at ground level and in the gutters, not on the chase itself.

Sealant at siding joints and trim tends to wear out first, so it is worth a look from the yard now and then. A failed sealant joint caught early is a small fix, while the same gap left for years can reach a corner stud.

If you spot something new, call and our crew can take a look before it grows into rot. In between, a few habits do most of the work, and none of them need a ladder.

• Keep gutters and valleys around the chase clear of leaves
• Turn sprinkler heads away from wall chases
• Look over the chase from the yard after big storms
• Watch the ceiling near the fireplace for new stains