Chimney repair in Clovis CA - a chimney that keeps water out of your house

Water stains on the ceiling near the chimney, a white powdery crust on the firebox or a rusted damper mean water's been getting in for a while, and one chimney repair guide says simple tuckpointing won't fix that. Those signs mean the repair has to stop the water at its source, so that's what we plan the job around.

When the brick face is flaking off, which masons call spalling, or the chimney is cracked or leaning in ways that go past worn mortar joints, the same guide says it needs a partial rebuild. That means taking the chimney down to sound brick, typically at the roofline, and laying it back up with new or salvaged brick, which is a bigger job than joint work.

The best liner is the one your chimney's shape and condition allow, and that same guide lays out three. A stainless steel flexible liner threads down through the chimney you have without tearing anything out, a clay tile liner is only practical during a rebuild, and a cast-in-place liner forms one seamless insulated flue that suits odd-shaped or damaged chimneys. Whatever goes in has to fit what you burn, because a flue that's too small for the fireplace or stove causes draft problems and a carbon monoxide risk.

Chimney repair such as patching and replacing damaged masonry or metal parts usually costs about $500 to $7,000 per project in the Fresno area. That's what the work runs in the market, not our price, and where your job lands depends on whether it's flashing and joints or a rebuild with a new liner. You'll get the number for your own chimney at the estimate.

A retrofit is the main way, and federal guidance says it lowers the risk that an unreinforced brick chimney falls outward onto people outside or into the house onto people inside. Those plans include capping the chimney at the roof or ceiling, rebuilding it above the shoulder where it narrows while keeping the brick firebox, or putting in a factory-built insert with a metal flue. San Bernardino County takes one more approach for a single-story home damaged only at or above the roof, letting the chimney come down to roof level if the fireplace won't be used again, which that county calls the least costly choice but with less hazard protection.

Often it's the crown or the flashing, not the brick. The area around the crown is an often overlooked leak source, and the flashing and sealant there keep water out of the gap between the chimney wall and the flue liner. Where the roof meets the chimney, ask whether the job includes both base flashing on the roof and counter flashing tucked into the brick over it, since that joint has to be flashed to keep water out.