Chimney repair in Bergen County, NJ
Many Bergen County houses have a brick chimney as old as the house. We repoint it, fix the crown and reseal the flashing before water gets into the brick.
NJ HIC 13VH13268400 · Licensed and insured · Free inspection · Open 24 hoursModern Home Roofing & Chimney repairs brick chimneys on houses across Bergen County, NJ, including Ridgewood, Fair Lawn, Teaneck and Englewood. About 78 percent of homes in the county heat with gas, and on older houses the furnace often still vents up the brick chimney. We repoint joints, fix crowns and reseal flashing. NJ HIC 13VH13268400.
Why old Bergen County chimneys wear from the inside too
The Census counts about 78 of every 100 Bergen County homes as heated by gas. In a house from the 1940s or 1950s, the furnace or the water heater often still vents up the old brick chimney. Gas exhaust carries a lot of water vapor. In a flue that is too big or too cold for it, some of that vapor condenses on the way up and soaks into the mortar.
So a chimney can look fine from the driveway and still be losing mortar near the top, where it is coldest. We check the crown, the top courses of brick and the flashing, and we look into the flue where we can. If the liner is the problem, we say so and it goes on the estimate.
Freezing and thawing is what breaks mortar. Water gets into a cracked crown or an open joint, freezes, and pushes the brick apart a little more every winter. The north end of the county gets more snow and a longer cold season. The south end gets storms that switch between rain and snow, which does the same damage in smaller steps.
So we look at the top of the chimney and into the flue before we price anything.
What we check on an older Bergen County chimney
Most chimney damage starts at the top, where the brick takes rain and frost on all four sides. We get up there when it is safe to, so you see what we see.
On older Bergen County houses, we look at
- The crown, for cracks that let water down into the brick.
- The top courses of brick, where the mortar usually goes first.
- The flue, where we can see into it, for a cracked or missing liner.
- The cap, and whether there is one at all.
- The flashing where the chimney comes through the roof.
- White or dark stains on the outside of the brick, which usually mean water is getting in.
When the top courses are loose and the crown is cracked through, repointing will not hold. We tell you that and price the rebuild instead. Chimney rebuilding in Bergen County
How a chimney repair works in Bergen County
The top of the chimney gets as much attention as the brick, because that is where most chimney leaks start. All seven steps are on the chimney repair page.
Free inspection
We get up to the top when it is safe to and photograph the cap, crown, flue, brick and flashing.
Written estimate
Which joints, which brick, what else needs work and the price, on paper. Any permit goes on it too.
Repoint and replace bad brick
We grind out the failed mortar, pack in new mortar and tool it to shed water. Cracked brick comes out and new brick goes in.
Fix the top and clean up
If the crown is cracked, the cap is missing or the flashing has lifted, that is on the estimate too. Then we clear the roof and the ground and show you the photos.
Do you need a permit for chimney repair in Bergen County?
It depends on your town. Chimney masonry is not on New Jersey's list of ordinary maintenance or minor work, so the construction office in your town decides what paperwork it needs. Ridgewood has historic districts, where exterior work needs a historic preservation permit, though a like-for-like replacement skips the commission review. We check with your town before we start, and any permit goes on the estimate.
What you can check on us first
- Our New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor license is 13VH13268400. Look it up with the Division of Consumer Affairs.
- We carry insurance and can send you the certificate before work starts.
- The inspection is free, and the estimate comes to you in writing.
- We are open 24 hours.
If it is in Bergen County, yes. We cover all 70 municipalities, from Allendale to Wyckoff. Put your ZIP code in the estimate form and we confirm it when we call you back.
Yes, if the brick or the crown is failing. The exhaust still has to get out, and a chimney that vents gas can wear faster at the top than one that sat unused. We show you what we find in photos.
The chimney sticks up above the roof, so it takes rain and wind on all four sides and freezes harder than the walls below it. The top few feet usually go first.
It depends on how many joints need repointing, how much brick has to be replaced, and whether the crown, the cap or the flashing needs work too. We do not quote over the phone. You get a written price after we have been up to the top.
It depends on the town and the work. Chimney masonry is not on the state list of work that skips the permit process, so we check with your construction office before we start and tell you what it needs.
Find out what the top of your chimney looks like
Tell us your town and what you are seeing. We call you back shortly, inspect the chimney for free, and give you photos and a written price. If repointing will not hold, you will hear that from us.
Or call 732-682-9251