Chimney Repair

Start with what you noticed

A chimney has a dozen or so parts, and several of them can produce the same symptom. A ceiling stain next to the chimney might be flashing, or it might be water soaking through the brick above the roof. That's why the map below lists likely parts, not answers. The assessment is what narrows it down.

If you want the parts explained first, our guide to the parts of a chimney, top to bottom walks through each one.

Symptom-to-repair map

Stop using it first if you see these

Some signs mean the appliance should not be used until it has been checked:

• Smoke coming into the room, or an exhaust smell from a furnace or water heater flue
• A carbon monoxide alarm
• Signs of a past chimney fire: puffy, honeycombed creosote, cracked tiles, warped metal, or a loud roaring sound during a fire
• Bricks falling from the top of the chimney

If a CO alarm is sounding or there's an active fire, leave the house and call 911. For what to look for afterward, see signs you've had a chimney fire.

How New Jersey weather shows up on chimneys

Most chimney repairs in this state trace back to water and freezing. A chimney stands above the roof on all sides, catches wind-driven rain, and goes through repeated freeze-thaw cycles every winter. Water that gets into a crack in the crown or an open mortar joint freezes, expands, and opens the gap a little more. By spring, a hairline crack can be a gap you can see from the ground.

That's why damage often seems to appear suddenly after a hard winter. Usually it has been building for years. It's also why the top of the chimney, the part that's hardest to see, is often where trouble starts. A look from the roof every year or two catches most of it while repairs are still small.

How we assess it

A repair recommendation is only as good as the assessment behind it. Every repair visit starts the same way.

• Your account first. When the problem shows up, after what kind of weather, and what's changed recently, like a new roof.
• Outside, top to bottom. Cap, crown, brick, mortar and flashing, from the roof when it's safe to get up there.
• Inside the system. Firebox, damper, smoke chamber, and the flue with a chimney camera where it allows.
• Attic and roof deck. When it's safe and accessible, to see where water is actually travelling.
• Water testing when needed. If a leak's source isn't clear, a controlled water test can isolate it.

You get findings with photos before any repair is scheduled.

Repair, rebuild or replace

Most chimney work falls into one of three groups. A repair restores one part that's failing while the rest is sound. A partial rebuild replaces a section, usually the top courses above the roof, where damage has gone deeper than the surface. Replacement applies to parts that wear out as a unit, like a rusted cap or chase cover, or a damper that no longer seals.

What usually decides it is how far the damage has spread, whether the structure is still sound, and whether a cheaper fix would just fail again. Our guide to repairing or rebuilding a chimney covers the decision in detail, and what affects repair cost explains why two similar-looking jobs can differ.

What changes the scope of a repair

• How many parts are involved. Water damage often touches the crown, brick and flashing at once.
• Chimney height above the roof, roof pitch and access.
• Brick and mortar type, especially on older homes where materials have to be compatible.
• Whether the flue serves a fireplace, a stove, or a furnace or water heater.
• Season. Some masonry and coating work depends on temperature and dry weather.

A good assessment groups related problems. If the crown, the top courses and the flashing are all letting water in, fixing one and leaving the others usually means the stain comes back. We'll point out which repairs depend on each other and which can wait.

Next step

Send us a request with a short description of what you noticed and, if you can, a photo. A team member will contact you to confirm a time for the assessment.

Request a chimney repair assessment

Questions homeowners ask