Chimney repair in Palm Bay FL - a crown and flashing that keep water out
Cracked crown, loose flashing or crumbling mortar up top? We find what's letting water in and fix that, not just the crack you see.
Does my cracked chimney need repair or an inspection first?
Chimney repair in Palm Bay means fixing the parts that keep rain out of the chimney and your house. Mostly that's the crown, the concrete cap on top that some people call the wash, and the flashing, the metal that seals the joint where the chimney meets your roof. At Fieldstone Palm Bay Concrete & Masonry we find out why water is getting in before we fix anything, so the repair goes after the cause instead of covering it.
Most people call us after they notice a water stain on the ceiling near the fireplace, a crack across the top of the chimney or mortar sand collecting on the roof. The price moves with what's actually damaged and how far down the chimney it reaches, whether the chimney is brick or factory-built, and how hard the top is to get to on your roof. The schedule turns on whether a storm or a fire means an inspection has to come first, whether a permit is needed, and the weather, since fresh mortar and a downpour don't mix. The on-site estimate is where you get your own figure.
How we do chimney repair, from the top down
It starts when you tell us whether your chimney is brick or factory-built and whether a storm or a fire may have hit it, because that decides whether an inspection comes before any repair. Some fireplaces are factory-built, with the chimney and its roof assembly made in a factory and put together on site, so that kind gets looked at differently from a brick chimney. On a brick chimney we start up top, checking the crown for cracks and the flashing for gaps along the roof, then we repair what's letting water in so rain runs off the top and past the roof joint instead of into them. We pay close attention to which metal goes into that flashing, and the questions further down explain why. When we're done, we clean up the roof and the ground below.
Water that gets past a bad crown or flashing usually shows up lower down, in mortar washing out of the joints or bricks that crack and flake. Worn joints get tuckpointing, where we grind out the old mortar and pack in new, and damaged bricks get brick repair. How much of that your chimney needs is something I can only tell for sure once the old mortar starts coming out.
Crown repair
This suits a chimney with a cracked, chipped or crumbling cap, which you can sometimes spot from the yard as dark lines across the top. Left alone, those cracks let rain sit on the brick and soak down into the chimney.
Flashing repair
This suits a leak at the ceiling or a stain in the attic right beside the chimney, where the metal seal along the roof has lifted or worn through. On a brick chimney we'll tell you which metal we're using before you agree to the work.
Rebuilding the top rows of brick
This suits a chimney whose top few rows have loose joints or bricks that move when you push on them, usually after years of water coming in from above. We take those rows down and lay them back up in fresh mortar so the crown has something solid to sit on.
Chimney repair permits and leaks we see in Palm Bay
Palm Bay's Building Department issues the permits the building code requires before construction, alterations, repairs and relocations, and its list names re-roofing but not chimney repair. The city also says that list isn't complete, so the list alone doesn't settle whether your chimney job needs a permit. Before work starts we check with the office that covers your address and handle the permit when your job needs one, which matters because starting without one can bring a penalty of up to four times the sum of all the fees. When a permit is needed, residential permits here take an average of 14 working days to be approved or answered, and other departments have to sign off too, so we plan the start date around that wait. If you'd like to ask yourself, the Building Department takes permit questions at 321-953-8924.
Fireplaces get light use here, so a chimney can sit for years with a cracked crown before anyone notices, and the first sign is usually a ceiling stain after a hard rain. We're based in Palm Bay and work in many of the cities around it, and we see the same leaks on jobs north in Rockledge and south in the West Vero Corridor.
Chimney and masonry work up close
Why call us for chimney repair
The owner sees every chimney
I come out to look at every job myself and write the estimate, and a crew led by our lead mason does the work. You hear the plan from the person who priced it, and the lead mason on your roof works from that same plan.
Trained under a Palm Bay mason
I learned this trade as another Palm Bay mason's right hand, running his jobs and his crew for years before I opened our doors in 2013. That's a long time spent on the same kinds of houses and chimneys you have.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured, and that matters most on a chimney, where the work happens up on your roof. Satisfaction guaranteed.
We fix the cause and explain it
A patch over a problem that's still there is money wasted, so we find where the water is coming from before we touch the crack you can see. I'll walk you through what we found, and no question about your house is too small.
The next step is a look at your chimney. Send us a message or call (321) 326-1779 and we'll set a time.
(321) 326-1779Get your chimney looked at and priced on site
We reply to every message within one business day to set a time, then I come out, look at the chimney myself and write you a free estimate on site. There's no obligation, and if you note whether the chimney is brick or factory-built and whether a storm or fire may have hit it, I'll know where to start.
Chimney repair questions from Palm Bay homeowners
How much does chimney repair cost in Palm Bay?
Chimney repair in the Palm Bay metro area usually costs about $550 to $7,400 per project. The spread is wide because a small crown or flashing fix usually sits near the bottom, while work that runs down into the brick and mortar climbs toward the top. Your own figure comes from the estimate, once I've seen what's actually damaged.
When should I get a chimney inspection in Palm Bay?
Chimney industry guidance recommends a Level 2 inspection after a chimney fire or a storm likely to have damaged the chimney, and also when you're selling the house or before the chimney is lined or relined. It checks the crown, the flashing and the cricket, a small ridge behind some chimneys that steers water around them. If you suspect storm or fire damage, book it first so the repair follows what it finds.
What metal should be used for flashing on a brick chimney?
Trade guidance recommends metal flashing for chimneys, but not galvanized steel, and says aluminum shouldn't go into brick because fresh mortar attacks it. Flashing in good shape holds up to high heat and to the weather outside. Before you agree to a quote on a brick chimney, ask which metal it includes, and we'll tell you ours.
Who can I hire to do chimney work in Palm Bay?
You need a licensed contractor, because state and local law require anyone hired for construction work on your property to be state certified or registered. Printed ads have to show the contractor's state license number, so ask for it and check it with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
What causes a chimney to leak into the ceiling?
Most chimney leaks come from a cracked crown or from flashing that has pulled away where the chimney meets the roof, and worn mortar joints can let water in too. The stain often shows up a little way from where the water gets in, because it runs along the brick and framing first. We trace it from the top before fixing anything, so the repair goes where the water starts.
How do I get my house ready for a chimney inspection?
Make the attic easy to reach, since a Level 2 inspection includes going on the roof and checking the system in any attic, basement or crawl space that can be reached. Move boxes away from the attic hatch and the walls around the chimney so nothing has to be shifted on the day. For a repair visit, clear the ground below the chimney, because that's where ladders go and debris lands.
Get your chimney, crown and flashing looked at
Call (321) 326-1779 any day of the week, early morning to late evening, or send the form and tell us what you're seeing.
