Crumbling joints, loose brick or a stain on the ceiling near the chimney? We find the cause and repair the masonry so it holds.
Chimney repair in Appleton, WI can be as small as replacing worn mortar in the joints or as large as taking the top of the chimney down to sound brick and laying it back up, and sometimes it includes masonry work before a new liner goes into the flue, the passage that carries smoke and gases out.
Most homeowners call after spotting mortar washing out of the joints, a brick that has cracked or shifted near the top, or a stain on the ceiling beside the chimney. What moves the price most is how far the damage has gone, because joint work is a far smaller job than rebuilding brick, and the height of the chimney and how easily we can reach it add to that.
The schedule turns on the same things, plus whether the city wants a permit for your job, which we find out before work starts. I come out myself, look at the chimney with you and write down what we'd do and why, so you have your own figure in hand before you decide anything. We're based in Appleton and work in the cities around it.
Beyond the mortar and brick themselves, a few practical points decide how a chimney repair is done and how well it holds up. These are the ones I talk through with most homeowners.
The crown is the sloped concrete or mortar top that sheds water away from the flue, and once it cracks, water runs straight down into the brick below. A cap over the flue keeps rain and animals out. Both are often the first things to repair, since they protect everything underneath.
Older brick is usually softer than modern brick, and a mortar harder than the brick around it can push the damage into the brick faces over time. I match the mortar to the brick and the house, so the joints wear first and the brick doesn't have to.
A chimney on a steep roof or a tall house takes more setup, with roof brackets or scaffolding so our crew can work steadily and protect your shingles. That setup is part of why two chimneys with similar damage can turn out to be quite different jobs.
Here is how a chimney repair goes with us, from your first call to the walk-through at the end. I'm involved at each step, from the first look to the final check.
Call (920) 454-9038 or use the contact form to tell us what you've noticed, and we'll set a time for me to come out and look at the chimney with you.
I look for what's actually causing the problem, whether that's the joints, the brick, the crown or water getting in some other way, then write an estimate that explains what we'd do and why.
If you'd like to go ahead, we take care of any permit the job needs, and our crew of experienced masons does the work while I check on it as it goes.
Before we leave, I go over the finished work with you. After that, it's worth glancing at the ceiling near the chimney now and then, since a new stain is usually the earliest sign of water getting in.
The first thing I check is whether the damage stops at the mortar or has reached the brick, because that decides between joint work and rebuilding part of the chimney. If the brick is sound, we grind out the worn mortar and pack the joints with fresh mortar, which is tuckpointing. If a few bricks have cracked or flaked, we replace them as brick repair, and deeper damage means rebuilding that section.
If you're planning a new liner, we fix the masonry first, because the liner maker's instructions call for missing, loose or cracked masonry and mortar joints to be repaired before a liner goes in. I'd rather tell you plainly when a smaller repair will do, and do that well, than sell you more chimney work than your house needs.
When part of the chimney is rebuilt, salvaged brick usually blends in best with the older brick below the roofline. New brick is easier to find in quantity but rarely matches an older face exactly, so I'll show you both where it matters.
If a liner is on your list, planning both at once usually makes sense, since the masonry has to be sound first anyway. If you'd rather spread the cost, we can repair the masonry now and leave the liner for later.
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out and look at your chimney. The estimate is free and done at your home, and I write down what we'd do and why, with no obligation to go ahead.
(920) 454-9038In Appleton, building permits come from the City of Appleton Inspection Division, and you can call the office at (920) 832-6411 with questions about your project. Whether your chimney repair needs a permit is up to that office, so we check with them before work starts, and when the job does need one, we pull it ourselves and keep the paperwork in order.
Work done under an Appleton building permit follows the city's building and zoning rules along with the state building code, and it's inspected at stages along the way. The permit itself doesn't cover plumbing, electrical or heating installations, so if your plans include work on the stove or furnace the chimney serves, that part is a separate question to raise with the city.
Most chimneys we're called to around Appleton sit on older brick homes, where crumbling joints are the usual complaint. As on most chimneys, the north side usually wears faster, because water held in the masonry there freezes and thaws over and over. We do the same chimney work in Grand Chute and Neenah, along with Menasha, Kaukauna, Oshkosh and many other cities nearby.
I'm the one who comes out to look at your chimney and write the estimate. Our crew of experienced masons does the work, and I check it as it goes. I learned this trade working under experienced masons around Appleton. I started this business in 2013, and careful mortar work on older brick and stone homes is what we're best known for.
In Wisconsin, the business that pulls building permits for one- and two-family homes has to be certified by the state's Department of Safety and Professional Services. New applicants show a surety bond of at least $25,000 or liability insurance of at least $250,000 per occurrence, so it's fair to ask any contractor for proof. We're licensed and fully insured, and you're welcome to ask me for it.
We stand behind our work with one plain promise, satisfaction guaranteed. If you'd like me to look at your chimney, call (920) 454-9038 or send us a message with what you've noticed. Thank you for considering us for the work on your house.
When the brick is still sound but the joints have gone sandy or recessed, fresh mortar in the joints may be all your chimney or walls need.
Cracked, flaking or loose bricks on a chimney or wall can be cut out and replaced one at a time before the damage spreads to their neighbors.
We're based in Appleton and do chimney repair in the cities around it, including the ones listed here and many others nearby. If you don't see your city, please give us a call.
Common chimney repairs such as cap and crown work usually cost about $200 to $2,300 per job across the US. That's the going rate nationally, not our price, and a partial rebuild is a much larger job than cap or crown work. I'll give you a written figure for your own chimney after I've looked at it in person.
A chimney needs a partial rebuild once the damage has gone past the mortar joints into cracked or leaning brick. That means taking it down to sound brick, typically to the roofline, and laying it back up, so if your brick is failing, it's wiser to plan for a rebuild than to keep patching.
Most chimneys that stay standing take a stainless steel flexible liner, the most common choice because it threads down through the existing chimney with no demolition. A cast-in-place liner, formed right inside the chimney, suits chimneys that are irregularly shaped or damaged, and clay tile is practical only when the chimney is being rebuilt anyway.
Usually not on its own. A ceiling stain near the chimney, white chalky deposits on the firebox or a rusted damper all point to water getting in over a long time, and simple tuckpointing won't stop that kind of leak. I look for where the water is actually getting in before I suggest any repair.
Clearing a path to the fireplace and taking small things off the mantel is usually all you need to do. Chimneys are very sooty and dusty inside, and one liner maker advises removing or covering furniture and rugs during cleaning and liner work, so we cover your furniture and floors before any inside work starts.
Joint repair is usually the shortest kind of chimney job, while a partial rebuild takes considerably longer because the brick comes down to sound masonry and goes back up one row at a time. I'll talk through the timing for your chimney when I come out and see what it needs.
Call (920) 454-9038 any day from 6 AM to 11 PM, or send the form with a photo of the chimney and a note on anything you've seen inside, like a ceiling stain, so I know what to look for when I come out.
