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Chimney Services in Galloway Township, NJ

Nearly half of Galloway Township's homes date from the 1980s and 1990s. Storms off the coast that push rain sideways find the seams in the chimneys and chases of that era.

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Chimney profile
What the numbers suggest for chimneys in Galloway Township
Why sideways rain finds different weak spots
Where water gets in, by chimney type
Keeping track of what each storm does
Local questions
Sources

Chimney profile: Galloway Township

Census estimates for 14,771 housing units (14,335 occupied).

When homes were built

Before 1940 5%
1940–59 6%
1960–79 16%
1980–99 48%
2000 or later 24%

How occupied homes are heated

Utility gas 82%
Fuel oil 4%
Electricity 9%
Propane 2%
Wood 1.2%
Other or none 2%

Type of housing

Single-family, detached 70%
Single-family, attached 10%
2–4 units 4%
5+ units 15%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, tables B25034, B25040 and B25024, via Census Reporter. Estimates have margins of error; small categories are approximate.

What the numbers suggest for chimneys in Galloway Township

Census estimates put about 48% of Galloway Township's 14,771 housing units in the 1980 to 1999 range, plus 24% from 2000 on. That era brought many factory-built fireplaces, whose metal chimneys rise through a framed chase finished in siding and closed at the top by a metal chase cover. Brick chimneys are also common among the 27% of homes built before 1980.

Roughly 82% of occupied homes are heated by utility gas; electricity covers 9%, fuel oil 4% and propane 2%. Wood is the primary heat in about 1.2%, a small group of households for whom a stove or fireplace is the main source of warmth through the winter.

Around 70% of units are detached, 10% attached and 15% in apartment or condo buildings of five units or more. The figures portray the township overall, not the condition of any one chimney.

Why sideways rain finds different weak spots

In calm weather, rain lands mostly on top of a chimney, where the crown, cap and chase cover are built to shed it. Wind changes the angle. The Mason Contractors Association of America's weather-resistance checklist describes chimneys as facing prolonged exposure to wind-driven rain, and recommends sealing the vertical legs of flashing so wind cannot blow water in behind them. On a chimney or chase that stands well above the roof, every face takes rain at some point in a storm, and water is forced into joints that stay dry the rest of the year.

That is why some leaks appear only during storms from one direction and then vanish for months. A dry spell after a repair proves little until the chimney has been through a storm from the same direction. The longer explanation is in our guide to wind-driven rain and chimney leaks.

Where water gets in, by chimney type

Framed chase around a factory-built chimney

The chase cover. A cover that has sagged, rusted or lost its drip edge can let water run down the inside of the chase walls.
The storm collar. The collar around the metal flue where it passes through the cover depends on a seal that ages.
Siding laps and trim. Driven rain can get behind siding at corners and where the chase meets the roof, especially if the flashing there was never integrated with the wall wrap.

Brick chimney

Mortar joints on the windward side. The MCAA checklist points to separation cracks where mortar has pulled away from brick, plus small voids left in joints, as routes for water.
Counterflashing. When it pulls out of its mortar joint, water gets behind the step flashing below.
The crown. The same checklist calls for a crown that extends past the chimney walls with a drip edge and slopes away from the flue.

Keeping track of what each storm does

If a stain shows up near the fireplace after a storm, write down the date, the wind direction from the forecast and exactly where the water appeared. Over two or three storms, a pattern tends to single out one side of the chimney or chase. Bring those notes to the visit.

We check from the top down: cover or crown, cap and collar, flashing, then the walls. When the source is still unclear, a controlled water test wets one component at a time. Photos of what we found come to you before any leak repair is scheduled, along with which component the evidence points to. If the chase cover is the problem, our replacements are aluminum and custom-measured for the chase; see chase covers.

Local questions

The leak comes and goes with the weather. Is that a clue?

Wind drives water into seams, flashing and chase joints that stay dry in calm rain. A leak tied to one wind direction usually points to the face of the chimney or chase that takes that wind.

Is a chase cover the same thing as a chimney cap?

No. The chase cover seals the top of the framed chase, and the cap sits over the flue opening above it. Either one can let water in.

Should I caulk around the chimney myself?

Caulk over failed flashing or a rusted cover tends to hold for a short while and then fail again, sometimes trapping water. Finding the actual entry point first keeps you from paying for the same repair twice.

Sources

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