Chimney rebuilding in Monmouth County, NJ
In Avon-by-the-Sea the median house dates to 1952, and in Interlaken to 1946. A brick chimney that old near the ocean has taken a lot of wind and salt air. When the top 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 on houses across Monmouth County, NJ, including Asbury Park, Bradley Beach, Avon-by-the-Sea and Keyport. In those towns a third or more of homes were built before 1940. When the top courses come loose, we take the stack down to solid brick and rebuild it. NJ HIC 13VH13268400.
Old brick in the shore towns, and in a few inland ones
Monmouth County as a whole is not old: 14 percent of its homes were built before 1940, below the state figure of 17 percent. The old houses are bunched in certain towns. In Avon-by-the-Sea 40 percent of homes predate 1940, in Asbury Park 37 percent and in Bradley Beach 35 percent. Interlaken has a median house from 1946.
A couple of inland towns are just as old. Over half the homes in Roosevelt and a third of those in Allentown went up before 1940. A chimney there has the same age problem, without the salt.
Fresh mortar only works if the brick around it is sound. When the top courses rock, the crown is split through and the joints are empty several courses down, repointing just fills gaps between loose bricks. Near the ocean, wind-driven rain gets into every open joint, and each freeze pries the brick a little further apart.
So a rebuild gets decided at the top of the chimney, not from the driveway. We go up, see how far down the damage runs, and show you.
How we decide a Monmouth County chimney needs rebuilding
We would rather repoint a chimney than rebuild it, because repointing costs you less. A rebuild only goes on the estimate when the brick itself will not hold.
At the inspection, we check
- Whether the top courses shift under a hand.
- Whether the crown has split from top to bottom.
- How many courses down the joints have washed out.
- Whether the stack leans or has pulled away from the wall.
- The flue, where we can see into it, and what still vents up it.
- The flashing at the roof line, which is redone when the stack goes back up.
Sometimes only the top few feet need rebuilding, or new mortar is enough. When that will hold, we price it instead. Chimney repair in Monmouth County
How a chimney rebuild works in Monmouth 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 Monmouth 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. In Ocean Grove, part of Neptune Township, any exterior work, even a like-for-like roof, needs a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission 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 Monmouth County, yes. We cover all 53 municipalities, from Aberdeen to West Long Branch. Put your ZIP code in the estimate form and we confirm it when we call you back.
The construction office in your town decides, since a rebuild is not on the state's list of work that skips the permit process. We call before we start, and any permit goes on the estimate. In Ocean Grove, the Historic Preservation Commission has to issue a certificate of appropriateness first.
Not because of age alone. Plenty of old chimneys only need the joints refilled and a new crown. We get to the top, push on the brick, and show you photos before you decide anything.
Salt mostly goes after the metal, meaning the flashing and the cap. Brick comes apart when water gets into open joints and freezes. Near the ocean, wind-driven rain finds those joints easily, so fixing a cracked crown early is worth it. We check where yours stands.
That depends on how far down the stack has to come, how tall it is, and whether the flue liner needs work too. We do not quote over the phone. You get a written price once we have been to the top and seen how deep the damage goes.
Find out how deep the damage goes
Tell us your town and what you are seeing. We call you back shortly and inspect the chimney at no charge. The photos and a written price follow. If a repair will do, you hear that first.
Or call 732-682-9251