Chimney repair in Middlesex County, NJ
About 80 percent of Middlesex County homes heat with gas, and in Metuchen or South River the furnace often still vents up the original brick. We repoint the joints, fix the crown and seal the flashing while the damage is small.
NJ HIC 13VH13268400 · Licensed and insured · Free inspection · Open 24 hoursModern Home Roofing & Chimney repairs brick chimneys in Middlesex County, NJ, including Metuchen, South River, Highland Park and Milltown, where close to half of homes predate 1960. About 80 percent of county homes heat with gas, and many older chimneys still carry that exhaust. We repoint joints, fix crowns and reseal flashing. Free inspection. NJ HIC 13VH13268400.
Older brick, still venting a furnace
Brick chimneys in Middlesex County cluster in the older towns. Metuchen, South River and Highland Park have medians in the early 1960s, and close to half their homes went up before 1960. In Highland Park 27 percent predate 1940, and in South River and Milltown 20 percent.
Gas heats about 80 percent of county homes. In a house that age the furnace or water heater often vents into the original flue. Gas exhaust is full of water vapor, and in a flue that is cold or too wide, some of it condenses on the way up and soaks the mortar. Oil heat is rare countywide, but Dunellen and Carteret have more of it, and an oil boiler sends its exhaust up the brick too.
Then the weather works on it. In the Central Zone, storms swing between rain and snow. Water in an open joint or a cracked crown freezes at night and widens the gap. The top of the stack, above the roof and open on every side, goes first.
We get to the top and look into the flue where we can before anything is priced.
What we check on a Middlesex County chimney
Damage on a chimney mostly starts where it sticks out above the roof. We go up when it is safe and photograph each part so you see it the same way we do.
On the stack, we look at
- The crown, for cracks that let rain down into the brick.
- Mortar in the top few courses, which tends to wash out first.
- The flue, where we can see into it, for a broken or missing liner.
- Whether a cap is there and still in one piece.
- Flashing where the chimney passes through the shingles.
- White deposits or dark streaks on the brick face, a sign water is moving through it.
If the top courses move by hand and the crown is cracked through, repointing will not hold. Then we price a rebuild. Chimney rebuilding in Middlesex County
How a chimney repair works in Middlesex 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 Middlesex 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. 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.
Yes. The furnace exhaust still has to get out, and the moisture in it can wear the top of a chimney down faster than a fireplace that is never lit. We photograph the crown, the joints and the flue so you can judge for yourself.
The boiler exhaust goes up the brick the same way, so we look at the same things: the crown, the top joints, the flue and the flashing. If the liner is a problem, it goes on the estimate as its own line.
It depends on how many joints need new mortar, whether any brick has to be replaced, and whether the crown, cap or flashing needs work too. We do not quote over the phone. You get a written price after we have been to the top.
Your town decides. Chimney masonry is not on the state lists of work that skip the permit process, so we ask your construction office first and put anything it requires on the estimate. In Cranbury's historic districts, exterior work also needs a certificate of approval from the Historic Preservation Commission.
See what the top of your chimney looks like
Give us your town and what you have noticed. We call you back shortly, inspect the chimney for free, and send photos with a written price. If repointing will not last, we say so.
Or call 732-682-9251