Chimney repair in Hunterdon County, NJ
Oil heats a quarter of Hunterdon County homes and propane a tenth, both far above the state. Wood heats 2 percent, against under 1 percent statewide. Each of those fuels sends exhaust up a chimney, so we look at the flue as well as the brick.
NJ HIC 13VH13268400 · Licensed and insured · Free inspection · Open 24 hoursModern Home Roofing & Chimney repairs brick chimneys across Hunterdon County, NJ, including Alexandria, Franklin Township, Kingwood and Delaware Township. In those towns more than half the homes heat with oil, and some burn propane or wood, so exhaust wears on the flue and the top of the stack. We repoint joints, rebuild crowns and reseal flashing. NJ HIC 13VH13268400.
Oil, propane and wood, all going up the flue
Across the county, oil heats about a quarter of homes. In some townships it runs much higher: 59 percent in Alexandria and Franklin Township, 55 percent in Delaware and Kingwood. On many of those houses the boiler vents into a masonry chimney, and oil exhaust leaves soot and moisture behind in the flue.
Propane and wood add to it. Alexandria has 27 percent of homes on propane and Bethlehem 30 percent, and propane exhaust carries plenty of water vapor. In Kingwood 13 percent of homes heat with wood, and a stove leaves its own deposits in the flue. When the flue runs cold, the moisture condenses before it gets out and soaks into the liner and the mortar near the top.
Then the weather goes to work on the outside. Water gets into an open joint or a cracked crown, freezes, and pushes the brick apart. In the 15 Highlands towns, the colder and snowier part of the state, the top of the stack goes through that every winter.
So we get to the top of the chimney, look down the flue as far as we can see, and photograph the crown and the upper brick before we put a price on anything.
What we check on a chimney that still does its job
Before the estimate we want to know what the chimney is venting, because that changes what we look for. Then we go up to the top.
On Hunterdon County chimneys, we look at
- What is connected to the flue: an oil boiler, a propane furnace, a wood stove, or nothing.
- Soot and deposits in the flue, as far down as we can see.
- Cracked, shifted or missing clay liner tiles.
- The mortar in the top courses, where condensed moisture collects.
- The crown and the cap, and whether rain can fall straight into the flue.
- The flashing at the roof line, where a leak can look like a chimney problem.
If the top courses move when we push on them and the crown is cracked through, new mortar will not hold. Then we price a rebuild and show you why. Chimney rebuilding in Hunterdon County
How a chimney repair works in Hunterdon 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 Hunterdon 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. 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.
If the furnace or boiler vents up it, yes. Propane exhaust carries a lot of water vapor, and in a flue that runs cool, some of it condenses inside. That works on the liner and the mortar near the top. We note what is connected and look down the flue.
Dark streaks or white stains on the outside brick, bits of mortar on the roof below the chimney, and a crown that has cracked. Inside, a stove leaves deposits in the flue. We look at the outside and down the flue at the inspection, and if the flue is too coated to see the liner, we tell you.
It depends on how many joints need new mortar, how many bricks have to come out, and whether the crown, cap or flashing needs work too. How high the chimney stands above the roof matters as well. We do not quote over the phone. The written price comes after we have been to the top.
Your town decides. Chimney masonry is on neither of New Jersey's lists of work that can skip a permit, so the local construction office says what it needs. We ask the office before work starts, and whatever it needs is on the estimate. In Lambertville's historic districts we also ask whether the Historic Preservation Commission needs to see it.
See what your boiler or stove has done to the flue
Tell us your town and what you heat with. We call you back shortly, go up to the top for free, and give you photos and a written price. If a small repair will do, that is the one we price.
Or call 732-682-9251