Chimney chase repair and rebuilding in Summerlake
Your Summerlake chase, repaired by a local family-owned company that puts every layer in writing first.
- Licensed & insured
- Locally run
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service available
What we check on a framed chase
- Tap test for hollow or loose stucco
- Stucco rebuilt in three coats over new lath
- Firestops, shields and pipe supports reset as listed
- Trim primed, installed and sealed at joints
Building a chase back the right way
A cricket behind a wide chase
A wide chase acts like a dam on the uphill side of the roof. Rain and leaves pile up against it, and water sits at the joint instead of running past. A cricket, also called a saddle, is a small peaked roof built behind the chase that splits the water around both sides.
Florida's residential code, in R903.2.2, wants a cricket or saddle on the uphill side of a chimney or roof penetration wider than thirty inches, measured across the slope at a right angle. The covering is sheet metal or the same material as the roof.
When we rebuild the back wall of a wide chase on your Summerlake home, we check whether a cricket is there and whether it drains. A missing or failing one goes on the estimate as its own item, with any roofing tie-in noted.
Decorative shrouds on top of the chase
A decorative shroud is a metal housing set over the chimney termination to dress up the top of a chase. It looks good, but it also changes what surrounds the top of the chimney. R1005.2 allows decorative shrouds at the termination of a factory-built chimney only where the shroud is listed and labeled for that specific chimney system.
An unlisted shroud can also hold water or debris on the chase top, right above the framing we are there to repair. A shroud also has to come off for any work on the top framing, so its fasteners and condition get noted.
When a chase with a shroud is repaired, our crew looks for a listing label that matches the chimney. If there is none, we explain the code limit and your options, from removing it to a listed replacement from the chimney maker. Whatever you choose, the shroud is priced as its own line and dealt with before the top framing is closed.
Sequencing chase repair with a new cover
When the cover has failed and the chase under it has rotted, the order of work matters. The rotted top framing is repaired first, the siding and barrier are finished up to the top plate, and then the new cover goes on over sound wood.
Putting a new cover on a rotted top plate means taking it off again later. It also means paying to open the top of the chase twice. Repairing the chase and leaving a failed cover in place means the new wood gets wet right away.
Cover replacement is its own job with its own line on the estimate, and we schedule it right after the top framing is sound. You see both lines side by side, so you can decide on each and know the order they will happen in. If the top framing needs no repair, the cover can go on as soon as the siding reaches the top plate.
Ladders and scaffolding for tall chases
A chase on a two-story home can reach well above the second-floor eave, and working on it safely takes the right setup. Some jobs can be done from ladders and roof anchors. Others need scaffolding set on the ground or on a lower roof. Roof pitch, roof material and where the chase sits on the house all change the setup.
Scaffolding takes longer to set up, but it lets the crew reach every face of a tall chase with both hands free, which matters when a whole face is being stripped and reframed. It also keeps ladders off gutters and fresh siding.
Our crew plans access at the inspection and includes it in the estimate as a line of its own, so the day of the job holds no surprises. We protect landscaping and walkways wherever ladders and scaffolding stand at your Summerlake home.
Other work in Summerlake
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Chimney chase repair questions in Summerlake
Can you repair only the rotted part of my chase?
Often, yes. When rot is limited to the base, a corner or the top, our crew removes siding in that area, replaces the damaged wood and laps new barrier and flashing into the old. If probing shows rot running through most of the framing, we price a rebuild alongside the repair so you can compare.
Should I repair the chase before putting my home on the market?
A chase with visible rot or leaks tends to come up in a buyer's inspection. Repairing it first, with the work put in writing layer by layer, gives buyers a clear answer. If you would rather sell as is, our written estimate helps both sides agree on the work.
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- Free inspection
- No hidden fees
- Family owned and operated
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