Chimney chase repair and rebuilding in Union Park
Local, family-owned chase repair in Union Park, backed by our workmanship warranty and no hidden fees.
- Licensed & insured
- Locally run
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service available
Each chase repair line, spelled out in Union Park
- Damage boundary marked on each face
- Replacement siding matched to the existing profile
- Sheathing replaced back to firm wood
- Seam and flashing where the chase meets the house
Chimney chase repair from the top plate down
A chase that hangs off the wall on a framed floor
A cantilevered chase never reaches the ground. It sticks out from the house wall at fireplace height or higher, sitting on a small framed floor with a soffit panel underneath. From below it looks like a narrow bay built around the chimney.
That floor and soffit belong to the chase. Water running down inside the box collects on the floor framing, and a sagging soffit or a stained underside panel is often the first sign. Rot there can spread to the joists that tie the small floor back to the house wall, so the floor gets probed along with the walls.
When we open a cantilevered chase, the floor joists, the soffit and the connection to the house wall get checked together. Your estimate lists the soffit and any floor framing as their own items. The soffit panels usually come down first, since they show the floor framing from below without opening the walls.
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 Union Park 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.
Insulation that has no place against the pipe
Homeowners sometimes stuff insulation into a chase to stop drafts or noise, and some chases were insulated when they were built. That insulation can end up packed against the chimney pipe. DuraVent's manual, as one example, says never to fill the clearance space with insulation and to keep building insulation away from the chimney.
Wet insulation can also hold water against the sheathing and framing, which speeds up rot on the inside faces of the chase walls. It can leave the back of the siding damp long after the outside looks dry.
When we open a chase, any insulation inside is checked by hand, including any packed above or below the opened section. Material in the clearance space comes out, and wet insulation is removed. Insulation that belongs in the chase walls stays in the stud bays, outside the clearance, and the estimate says what was removed and what stayed.
Animals that move into chase gaps
Gaps in a chase are an open door for animals. Squirrels, birds, rats and insects move into openings at the top, at loose trim and at rotted corners. Once inside, they can nest in insulation, chew wiring and leave droppings that hold moisture against the wood.
Animal damage and water damage tend to go together, since the same gap lets in both. Birds and squirrels also pull at loose barrier and insulation to build nests, which opens new paths for rain.
Our crew closes animal entry points as part of the chase repair and checks inside for nests and chewed wiring. If an animal is still living in the chase, we tell you before closing it so the right next step can be arranged, because sealing one inside creates a bigger problem. The estimate lists each opening we closed. Screens or metal patches used to close gaps stay clear of the air space around the pipe.
Other work in Union Park
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Chimney chase repair questions in Union Park
What happens to the chimney pipe while you work on the chase?
The pipe stays in place and is protected while the framing around it is replaced. Our crew keeps the listed air space clear and puts firestops, shields and supports back where the chimney maker's instructions call for them.
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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