Chimney repair in Palm Beach Gardens FL - a chimney that keeps rain out of your house
Water stain on the ceiling by the chimney or rust streaks on the siding? We find where the water gets in and stop it there.
- Service
- Chimney repair
- Call
- (561) 268-0530
How can you tell your chimney is letting water in?
Stains beside the chimney
A brown ring on the ceiling or wall next to the chimney after a hard rain usually means water is getting past the flashing, the metal seal around the chimney at the roof. Left alone, it keeps soaking the roof decking and drywall, so a small flashing fix grows into roof and ceiling work too.
Orange streaks down the siding
On a chimney boxed in with siding or stucco, rusty streaks running down from the top usually mean the metal cover held standing water until it rusted through. By then water is dripping into the framing inside that box, and the longer it goes, the more soft, rotted wood there is to deal with.
Cracks in the chimney crown
The crown is the concrete cap on top of a brick chimney, and cracks across it let rain run straight down into the brick. Caught early, a crack can often be sealed, but if you wait, the mortar joints below start washing out and the job grows into repointing and brick replacement.
What does chimney repair actually fix?
Chimney repair in Palm Beach Gardens is mostly about keeping water out of your house, so we fix the crown on top of a brick chimney, the metal cover on a framed chimney and the flashing where the chimney meets the roof.
Most chimney calls I get start with a stain on the ceiling after a storm or rust on the siding, and the water rarely comes in right where the stain shows, so the job starts at the top and works down. The price moves with what we find up there, because sealing a sound crown or cover is a smaller job than having a new cover made, new flashing means working into the roofing around the chimney, and loose mortar or brick adds masonry work below. The schedule turns mostly on whether a cover has to be made to fit, the weather and whether your job needs a permit, and the written estimate I send after looking it over gives you the number for your chimney.
Details to note before an estimate
- Brick chimney or framed box with siding
- Stains on ceilings or walls nearby
- Rust streaks or rust on the cover
- Cracked crown or loose mortar joints
How we handle chimney repair, from the top down
I start on the roof, checking the crown or the metal cover and the flashing at the roofline, and then I tell you honestly whether sealing will do or the cover needs replacing. If a sound cover only needs sealing, that's what you'll hear from me. Replacement covers are made to fit, usually in stainless steel or copper, and one Florida chimney company says coastal salt air eats galvanized parts so fast that it installs only stainless. For leaks at the roofline, trade guidance calls for both base flashing, the metal tucked in with the roofing against the chimney, and counter flashing, the metal set into the brick and lapped down over it. The same guidance advises against galvanized steel for flashing, since its life rides on the zinc coating and thicker coatings can crack when they're folded, so if you're comparing quotes for a roof leak, check that each one covers both kinds of flashing.
Once the water is stopped up top, the brick below often needs some attention too. Sandy or recessed joints get fresh mortar through tuckpointing, and cracked or flaking bricks get cut out and replaced as part of brick repair. That careful pointing and brick work is what we're best known for, which isn't bad for a guy who spent years selling building supplies across a counter before an old mason let me pick up a trowel.
Work that often goes with chimney repair
Tuckpointing
When the mortar between chimney bricks has gone soft or sandy, fresh mortar packed into the joints keeps rain from soaking into the stack.
Brick repair
Bricks that have cracked, crumbled or lost their faces after years of trapped water can be cut out and replaced with brick picked to match.
What happens after you call about your chimney?
Call or send the form
Call (561) 268-0530 or send the form and tell us what you're seeing, and we'll set up a time for me to come out. We're based in Palm Beach Gardens and work in a lot of the cities around it in Palm Beach County and up into Martin County.
I look it over with you
I check the crown or cover and the flashing, show you what I find and explain why it failed. You get a written estimate that spells out what we'd do and what it costs, so you're not guessing about the price.
We repair, clean up, walk through
If your job needs a permit we take care of it, then our lead mason, our crew and I do the work and clean up after ourselves. We walk the finished chimney with you before we call it done, and it's satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Common questions about chimney repair work
What causes a chimney to leak into the house?
Most chimney leaks start at the base, where the chimney meets the roof, or at the crown on top, which is where masonry flashing guidance puts the main trouble spots. Worn flashing at the roofline and a cracked crown or rusted cover are the usual culprits, and on a brick chimney, tired mortar joints can let water in too.
How do I tell if my chimney has a crown or a chase cover?
From the ground, brick and mortar lines mean you have a masonry chimney with a crown, and siding, shakes or stucco on a squared-off box mean a framed chimney with a metal chase cover. Telling us which one you have when you call helps me know what I'm walking into.
How much does chimney repair cost?
Chimney cap, crown repair and waterproofing work across the US usually costs about $550 to $2,300 per job. That's a national planning range and not our price, and where your chimney lands depends on whether it can be sealed, needs a new cover made or needs new flashing. The written estimate I send after looking at it gives you your own number.
Can sealant fix a rusty chase cover?
Sealant can buy time on a chase cover that only has surface rust and is still solid, but it won't bring back metal that has rusted through. Once there are holes or soft spots, a replacement cover is the real fix.
How long does a galvanized chase cover last in Florida?
Galvanized chase covers are commonly cited as lasting five to fifteen years, depending on the climate and how well the pan drains. A flat or sagging top that holds water is what leads to those orange streaks, so if you're getting a new cover, ask how it will shed water.
Who can pull a permit for chimney repair in Palm Beach Gardens?
Palm Beach County's contractor guidance says only homeowners and qualified contractors can pull permits, and the county requires its contractors to be certified and insured. We're licensed and insured, and when a job needs a permit we pull it with the city or county office that covers your address and set up the inspections. In Palm Beach Gardens, permits go through the city's Building Department, which is also the place to ask whether your repair needs one.
Get a written estimate for your chimney repair
We respond within 1 business day to set up a time that works for you. I come out, look over the crown or cover and the flashing with you, and send a free written estimate. There's no obligation, so you can take your time deciding.
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Tell us what you see from the yard
Let us know if it's brick or a framed box and whether you've seen orange streaks or a leak, so I come out ready for your kind of chimney.