Chimney Service in Cape May, NJ

What is locally relevant in Cape May

The city's Historic Preservation Commission publishes Historic Design Standards that apply to all structures in the Historic District and to designated sites on the Zoning Map. The HPC reviews projects on both contributing and non-contributing properties, with stricter standards for contributing ones.

Among the items the standards list as reviewed by the HPC is any change of roof, exterior cladding, window or door material. Changes to the interior layout are listed as not reviewed.

What the standards say about chimneys

The chimney section is unusually specific. In summary, the standards:

• recommend inspecting chimneys at least once a year, including the brickwork and the flashing where the chimney meets the roof;
• say chimneys should have spark arrestors or caps to stop sparks and keep rain out of the brick;
• say deteriorated bricks at the top of a chimney should be replaced in kind;
• note that metal cladding or cement parging is commonly used in Cape May on less prominent secondary elevations;
• for contributing properties, call for extensively deteriorated chimneys to be rebuilt to match the original design, texture, unit size and joint profile;
• accept a new flue liner, with the flue cap kept as inconspicuous as possible;
• state that removing prominent chimneys is not appropriate, and that cement parging an existing masonry chimney is not appropriate unless there is evidence it was originally parged.

Putting the standards into practice

Most of what the standards ask for lines up with sound masonry practice. Matching brick size and joint profile on a rebuild keeps the chimney looking original. A cap that keeps rain out of the flue protects the masonry from the inside. Relining from the top changes little that anyone sees from the street, apart from the cap.

Where the standards draw a line, such as parging a visible brick chimney, it helps to know before you choose a repair. Our guide to chimneys on historic homes covers mortar and brick matching in more depth, and repair or rebuild explains how we decide how far down a rebuild needs to go.

Services Cape May owners often look for

• Chimney inspection, including the annual brick and flashing check the standards describe.
• Chimney caps sized and styled to stay low-profile.
• Chimney rebuilding that reuses or matches the original brick and joint profile.
• Chimney liners. We install all liner types, so the choice can follow the flue and appliance.
• Flashing repair where the chimney meets the roof.

Every visit starts with an assessment, and you receive findings with photos before any repair is scheduled. Those photos are also useful if you need to describe the work to the city.

How to request service in Cape May

Send a request through our Book Now page with your address, the appliance you use and what you have noticed. Tell us if the property is in the Historic District or is a designated site, and whether it is contributing, if you know. A team member contacts you to confirm a time; the request itself is not a confirmed appointment.

Our office hours are Sunday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM. We are closed on Saturday.

Local questions

Sources

1. City of Cape May: Historic Design Standards
2. Cape May Historic Design Standards (PDF)