Chimney rebuilding in Hunterdon County, NJ
Lambertville's and Frenchtown's median houses date to 1938. Bloomsbury's is from 1949, and 68 percent of its homes heat with oil. When a chimney that old has vented a boiler through that many winters, the top can be past repointing, and the stack has to come down to solid brick.
NJ HIC 13VH13268400 · Licensed and insured · Free inspection · Open 24 hoursModern Home Roofing & Chimney rebuilds brick chimneys across Hunterdon County, NJ, including Lambertville, Frenchtown, Califon and Bloomsbury. The median house in those towns dates to between 1938 and 1951, and in Bloomsbury 68 percent of homes heat with oil. If new mortar cannot hold, the stack comes down to solid brick and goes back up. NJ HIC 13VH13268400.
The old towns, and the stacks on their houses
The newer townships pull the county median up to 1981, but the older towns tell a different story. In Lambertville and Frenchtown the median house dates to 1938, and about half the homes went up before 1940. Califon's median is 1951, with 46 percent from before 1940. A chimney from those years has stood through a great many winters, and the top courses take the worst of each one.
Many of these houses also heat with oil. Bloomsbury has 68 percent of homes on oil and Milford 53 percent. Soot and condensed moisture in the flue work on the liner and the mortar near the top, so the upper brick can be loose while the brick lower down still looks sound.
In Lambertville, where 45 percent of homes are attached, a chimney can sit right at the line between two houses. We rebuild your side. If the stack is shared, we talk with you about the neighbor before anything comes down.
Whether a chimney needs rebuilding is decided at the top, not from the yard. We push on the upper courses, check the crown, and show you in photos where the solid brick starts.
How we decide a Hunterdon County chimney has to come down
We only price a rebuild when the brick above the roof cannot hold new mortar. A rebuild costs more than repointing, and if repointing will hold, that is the job you get priced.
At the top, we check
- Whether the upper courses rock when we push on them.
- A crown cracked all the way through.
- Joints hollowed out several courses down, not only at the top.
- A stack leaning or pulling away from the house.
- The flue liner, as far down as we can see, and what still vents into it.
- On an attached house, where the chimney sits against the line with next door.
Sometimes only the top few courses need relaying, or the joints only need new mortar. If that will hold, it is the job we price. Chimney repair in Hunterdon County
How a chimney rebuild works in Hunterdon County
How long it takes depends on how far down the stack has to come. All seven steps are on the chimney rebuilding page.
Free inspection
We get up to the top when it is safe to and photograph the brick, crown, cap, flue and flashing. You see how far the damage goes before we talk about price.
Written estimate
How far down we expect to go, what goes back up and the price, on paper. Any permit goes on it too.
Down to solid masonry
We take the chimney apart brick by brick until we reach solid masonry. With the stack open, we check the liner and the framing and show you what we find.
Build it back and clean up
New brick and mortar go up course by course, with a new crown, cap and flashing. Then we haul the old brick away and go over the photos with you.
Do you need a permit for a chimney rebuild in Hunterdon County?
It depends on your town. Rebuilding a chimney 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. Lambertville has historic districts, where the Historic Preservation Commission reviews exterior work, though in-kind roof and siding repair does not need its 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 Hunterdon County, yes. We cover all 26 municipalities, from Alexandria to West Amwell. Put your ZIP code in the estimate form and we confirm it when we call you back.
The town decides. A rebuild is not on either state list of work that skips the permit process, so the construction office tells us what it needs. We call before we start, and any permit goes on the estimate.
Yes, with the city involved. Lambertville has historic districts, where the Historic Preservation Commission reviews exterior work, though in-kind roof and siding repair does not need its review. A chimney rebuild is exterior work, so we ask the city whether the commission needs to see it, and you get our photos and estimate for any review.
Yes, that is the moment. With the top of the stack off, the flue is easier to get at than it will be again. If we see cracked or missing liner tiles, the fix goes on the estimate as its own line.
You both do, if the stack is shared. We look at it from your roof and tell you whether the damage is on your side, theirs or both. Nothing comes down on their side without their okay, and you get photos to show them.
It depends on how tall the stack is, how many courses have to come down, and what the flue needs. A stack that rises well above a steep roof takes more setup than a short one. We do not quote over the phone. The price is written down once we have stood at the top and seen it.
Know how much of your chimney is still sound
Tell us your town and what the chimney looks like. We call you back shortly, inspect it from the top for free, and give you photos and a written price. If repointing will hold, that is what we price.
Or call 732-682-9251