Honest chimney chase repair for University homes
Leaking chase? We cover it, trace the water and give you a free written estimate before any permanent work.
- Licensed & insured
- Locally run
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service available
The chase layers we price for University homes
- Moisture readings across each face of the chase
- Rotted studs, plates and corners replaced or sistered
- Firestops, shields and pipe supports reset as listed
- Added work priced in writing before it starts
The wall behind the siding
What a chimney chase is built to do
A chimney chase is a framed box that wraps the factory-built chimney pipe on its way up and out of the house. It is built from studs and sheathing like any exterior wall, then finished with siding or stucco to match the home. From the yard it can pass for a masonry chimney, but no brick holds it up.
The chase has two jobs. It keeps weather off the metal chimney inside, and its framing is laid out to stay the distance from the pipe that the chimney maker lists. When water gets into the box, the wood can rot for a long time behind a finish that still looks fine.
Our technicians treat chimney chase repair in University as exterior wall work with a listed chimney in the middle of it. The written estimate names the wood, the finish and the water path separately, so you can see what each line fixes.
Patching chase stucco or stripping a whole side
A small stucco repair on a chase is cut out square, the barrier and lath are lapped into the old, and the coats are built back up. That works when the damage is local and the stucco around it is sound and firmly attached. The edges of a patch are cut back to firm, well-attached stucco, never feathered over a loose area.
When a whole face of the chase is cracked, hollow or stained, patching one spot at a time tends to chase the damage around the wall. Stripping that face lets our crew see and replace every soft sheet of sheathing at once, and it gives a single, even finish.
We explain which approach fits your University home and why. The estimate prices the patch and, where it makes sense, the full-face option, so you can choose with both numbers in front of you.
Opening the chase one section at a time
Some damage can only be seen once the siding comes off. Rather than stripping the whole chase on the first day, our crew opens the worst area first and works outward until the wood is firm.
Opening in stages keeps as much sound siding in place as possible and limits how much of the chase is exposed at once. It also gives you a clear point to decide on any extra work before we go further. The first area opened is usually the base or the corner with the worst probe readings.
Each opened section is covered at the end of the day. When the edge of the damage is found, we show you, patch the barrier into the old and close that area before opening the next. On homes in University, this is how we keep the repair no larger than it needs to be.
Straps and supports tied to the chase framing
Inside a tall chase, the chimney pipe may be held in line by straps or a stabilizer fastened to the chase framing. In DuraVent's DuraChimney II manual, for example, the stabilizer keeps the chimney centered in the chase and does not support its weight, and the same manual uses wall straps or stabilizers at set spacing to hold the air space around an enclosed chimney.
When the studs those parts are fastened to rot, the pipe can drift toward one wall. Replacing the framing without resetting the supports can leave the pipe off center and too close to the new wood.
Our crew marks each support before the framing comes out and refastens it to new framing in its listed position. We also check that the pipe stands plumb before the chase on your University home is closed up.
Other work in University
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Before you book chase repair in University
Can a chase be changed from siding to stucco?
Yes, as long as the framing is sound and flat. Stucco over wood needs a two-layer barrier, corrosion-resistant lath and three coats, so we price it as its own option next to a like-for-like siding repair.
Is there a 10% discount for chase work?
Yes. Chase repair booked within 72 hours after your free inspection is 10% off. Mention it when you book so it is applied to your chase work.
Request your free estimate
Share the job details and arrange a free inspection with our local team.
- Free inspection
- No hidden fees
- Family owned and operated
Need an answer now? Call (352) 675-6376
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