Chimney rebuilding in Middlesex County, NJ
Dunellen's median house dates to 1955, and in South Amboy 38 percent of homes went up before 1940. When the top of a chimney that old will not hold new mortar, we take it down to solid brick and build it back.
NJ HIC 13VH13268400 · Licensed and insured · Free inspection · Open 24 hoursModern Home Roofing & Chimney rebuilds brick chimneys in Middlesex County, NJ, including Dunellen, South Amboy, Perth Amboy and New Brunswick, where a large share of homes predate 1940. When the top courses are loose and the crown is cracked through, we take the stack down to solid masonry and rebuild it. Free inspection. NJ HIC 13VH13268400.
The oldest chimneys in the county
Most of Middlesex County is newer than the state, but not the older river and bay towns. In South Amboy 38 percent of homes predate 1940, in Perth Amboy 31 percent and in Dunellen 30 percent. New Brunswick and Highland Park are not far behind. A chimney from before 1940 has been through a great many freezes.
At some point the joints give up the mortar, the brick under the crown starts to shift, and the crown splits end to end. Packing fresh mortar between loose brick does not tie it back together. That is when the top of the stack, or more of it, comes down.
Many of these chimneys now vent a gas furnace or water heater. A rebuild opens the flue, so it is the time to look at the liner, before the brick goes back up around it.
A rebuild is not something we call from the sidewalk. We go up, test the top courses by hand, and show you where the solid brick starts.
How we decide a Middlesex County chimney needs rebuilding
We only price a rebuild when the brick cannot hold new mortar. These are the signs that settle it.
At the inspection, we check
- Whether the top courses shift under a hand.
- Whether the crown is split all the way through.
- How deep the mortar has washed out of the joints.
- Whether the stack leans or has opened a gap at the house wall.
- The flue, where visible, for a cracked liner.
- The flashing, which is replaced as the stack goes back up.
Sometimes only the top few feet need rebuilding, or repointing is still enough. If so, that is what we price. Chimney repair in Middlesex County
How a chimney rebuild works in Middlesex 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 Middlesex 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. Cranbury has historic districts, where exterior work needs a certificate of approval from the Historic Preservation Commission. An in-kind replacement counts as ordinary maintenance there, but the town still wants the details first. 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 Middlesex County, yes. We cover all 25 municipalities, from Carteret to Woodbridge. Put your ZIP code in the estimate form and we confirm it when we call you back.
That is up to your town. Rebuilding a chimney is not on the state lists of work exempt from permits, so the construction office says what it needs. We call before we start, and any permit is on the estimate.
Yes, but the town comes first. Exterior work there needs a certificate of approval from the Historic Preservation Commission. The town wants the details first, so we send them before any brick comes down.
Not necessarily. Often the damage stops a few feet below the crown and the rest is solid. We go up, check each course, and show you in photos where the good brick begins.
It depends on how much of the stack comes down, how tall it is, and whether the liner or the framing next to it needs work. We do not quote over the phone. You get a written price after we have checked how far down the damage goes.
Find out where the solid brick starts
Send your town and a word about the chimney. We call you back shortly, climb up for a free inspection, and hand you photos plus a written price. When a repair will hold, that comes first.
Or call 732-682-9251