Chimney repair in Monmouth County, NJ
About 82 percent of Monmouth County homes heat with gas, and in Upper Freehold and Colts Neck more homes than usual still burn oil. Either way, exhaust goes up through brick that takes weather on all four sides. We go up, look at the top, and fix what is failing.
NJ HIC 13VH13268400 · Licensed and insured · Free inspection · Open 24 hoursModern Home Roofing & Chimney repairs brick chimneys on houses across Monmouth County, NJ, including Red Bank, Colts Neck, Upper Freehold and Little Silver. Most homes here heat with gas, and some inland towns still burn oil, so we check the crown, the joints, the flashing and the flue before we price anything. NJ HIC 13VH13268400.
Gas, oil and salt air on old brick
Gas heats about 82 percent of homes in the county. Burning gas gives off a lot of water vapor, and in an older chimney built for a bigger, hotter appliance, some of it condenses inside the flue and soaks into the mortar. The damage usually shows near the top before anywhere else.
Oil is rare in the county as a whole, but not everywhere. In Upper Freehold 17 percent of homes heat with oil, and in Colts Neck 11 percent, against about 6 percent statewide. An oil boiler sends its exhaust up the chimney as well, so the flue matters as much as the brick you can see.
Near the water, the outside of a chimney takes the same salt air and wind-driven rain as the roof around it. In Red Bank 32 percent of homes were built before 1940. On a chimney that old, open joints and a cracked crown let rain into the brick, and the flashing at the roof line is often what leaks first.
So we price a chimney from the top of it. We go up when it is safe to, look into the flue where we can, and photograph what we find.
What we look at on a Monmouth County chimney
The part of a chimney that fails first is the part you cannot see from the lawn. We climb to the top when it is safe to, so the photos show you what we saw.
On Monmouth County chimneys, we look at
- The crown, for cracks that send rain down into the brick.
- Mortar in the highest courses, where wind-driven rain hits hardest.
- The flue, where we can see into it, and what it vents: gas, oil or nothing at all.
- The cap, and whether there is one.
- The flashing at the roof line, for rust and gaps on houses near the shore.
- White crust or dark streaks on the outside of the brick, a sign water is moving through it.
If the top courses move when we push on them, fresh mortar will not hold them in place. Then we price a rebuild instead. Chimney rebuilding in Monmouth County
How a chimney repair works in Monmouth 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 Monmouth 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. 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.
It can. An oil boiler vents up the chimney, so the flue has to be clear and sound. Oil heat is more common in Upper Freehold and Colts Neck than in the rest of the county. We look into the flue where we can and tell you what we see.
It is harder on the metal around the chimney than on the brick. The flashing where the chimney meets the roof, and any metal cap, can rust and open up. We check both and show you photos.
That depends on how many joints need new mortar, whether the crown or the cap needs work, and what shape the flashing is in. A short chimney on a ranch house is a different job from a tall one on a two-story house. 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's list of work that skips the permit process, so we ask the construction office before we start, and any permit goes on the estimate. In Ocean Grove, exterior work also needs a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission.
Get a look at the top of your chimney
Tell us your town and what you have noticed. We call you back shortly, inspect the chimney for free, and send photos and a written price. If new mortar is all it needs, that is what we price.
Or call 732-682-9251