Chimney Services in Tenafly, NJ

What the numbers suggest for chimneys in Tenafly

Tenafly's housing spans a wide range of ages. Census estimates put about 25% of its 5,420 housing units in buildings from 1939 or earlier and 30% from 1940 to 1959, while 14% date from 1980 to 1999 and 18% from 2000 or later. A house from before 1960 with a fireplace will typically have a masonry chimney built along with it. Newer ones may have masonry chimneys or factory-built fireplaces in framed chases, and the Census does not record which. Our guide to masonry and factory-built chimneys explains the difference.

Utility gas heats about 86% of occupied homes, electricity about 8%, propane about 3% and fuel oil about 2%. About 76% of units are detached houses and 6% are attached.

Whatever the age of the house, every chimney that passes through a roof depends on the same joint: the flashing where brick or chase meets roofing. That is why a roof replacement is a chimney event too.

Why a roof replacement is the moment to deal with the chimney

Flashing at a masonry chimney normally comes in two parts. Masonry Magazine describes step flashing tucked under the shingles and stepped counterflashing that comes out of the chimney's mortar joints and turns down over it. The same article notes that a cricket, a small peaked diversion on the uphill side, is usually required when a chimney is more than 30 inches wide. Read more in chimney flashing explained.

When the old roofing comes off, all of that is exposed. It is the one time the step flashing can be replaced properly and the counterflashing reset into sound mortar.

There is also a code detail worth knowing. A 2018 bulletin from New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs lists repair or replacement of any amount of existing roof covering on detached one- or two-family dwellings as ordinary maintenance, which does not need a permit. On such a house, a roof job may proceed without any town inspection, so nobody from the borough is necessarily looking at how the chimney was flashed.

A sequence for the two trades

1. Inspect the chimney before you sign the roofing contract.Findings with photos tell you whether the stack needs repointing, a new crown or a partial rebuild above the roof.
2. Do masonry work first.Repointing or rebuilding above the roofline should be finished before new shingles go on, so the new roof is not walked on and stained afterward.
3. Agree in writing who flashes the chimney.Some roofers install both step flashing and counterflashing; others leave counterflashing to a mason. A gap in that agreement is where leaks start.
4. Check the finished flashing.Look for counterflashing that overlaps the step flashing and is set into mortar joints, not just caulked to the brick face.
5. Test if there was a leak history.If the chimney leaked before the job, a controlled water test after it confirms the source is closed.

Our guide on planning the chimney during a roof replacement covers more detail, including chimneys that are no longer used.

Tenafly's historic design guidelines

Tenafly's Historic Preservation Commission was established in 1988. Its Design Guidelines for Landmarks and Historic Districts, prepared in 2012, apply to designated Historic Sites and to properties in designated Historic Overlay Districts. The guidelines list work that requires a Certificate of Appropriateness even when no building permit would otherwise be needed, and that list includes any masonry repair, including repointing, cleaning or waterproofing.

The guidelines separately list work that does not require one, including maintenance and repair of existing roof materials with no change in design, scale, material or appearance, and repair of existing roof structures such as dormers and chimneys using the same materials. Because chimney work can fall under either list, a designated property owner should ask the Commission before scheduling repointing or waterproofing.

Local questions

Sources

1. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates (tables B25034, B25040, B25024), via Census Reporter
2. Borough of Tenafly: Historic Development (Historic Preservation Commission)
3. Borough of Tenafly: Design Guidelines for Landmarks and Historic Districts (2012, PDF)
4. NJ Department of Community Affairs: Significant Changes to Minor Work and Ordinary Maintenance (2018, PDF)
5. Masonry Magazine (MCAA): Masonry Chimney Checklist for Weather Resistance