Chimney repair in Passaic County, NJ
About 81 percent of Passaic County homes heat with gas, and on an older house the furnace often still vents up the brick chimney. We repoint it, fix the crown and reseal the flashing.
NJ HIC 13VH13268400 · Licensed and insured · Free inspection · Open 24 hoursModern Home Roofing & Chimney repairs brick chimneys on houses across Passaic County, NJ, including Clifton, Hawthorne, Paterson and Little Falls. About 27 percent of homes in the county were built before 1940, and many still vent a gas furnace up the old brick. We repoint joints, rebuild crowns and reseal flashing. NJ HIC 13VH13268400.
Old brick, still working every winter
More than a quarter of Passaic County homes were built before 1940. In Hawthorne it is about a third, and in Clifton close to that. A chimney on one of those houses has stood through more than eighty winters, and it usually still has a job: four homes in five here run on gas heat.
Burning gas makes water vapor. Send it up an old flue that is oversized or cold for a modern furnace and part of it turns back to water on the way, soaking the mortar near the top. From the yard the chimney can look fine while the upper joints are going.
Frost does the rest. Water gets into an open joint or a cracked crown, freezes, and pushes the brick apart a little more each winter.
No price until we have stood at the top, seen the crown and the upper courses, and looked down the flue where it can be seen.
On top of an older Passaic County chimney
Chimney damage usually starts at the top, where the brick takes rain and frost on all four sides. We get up there when it is safe to and photograph what we find.
Up top, we go over
- The crown, for cracks that let water down into the brick.
- The top courses, where mortar from the 1940s and 1950s washes out first.
- Inside the flue, as far as we can see, for liner cracks or no liner at all.
- Whether there is a cap, and what shape it is in.
- The metal sealing the gap between the brick and the shingles.
- White staining on the brick, which usually means water is moving through it.
Once the upper courses wobble and the crown is split clean through, new mortar has nothing to grip. Then the honest estimate is for a rebuild. Chimney rebuilding in Passaic County
How a chimney repair works in Passaic 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 Passaic 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. Paterson's historic districts need Historic Preservation Commission review before exterior roofing, siding or window work, ordinary repairs included, though staff can sign off on minor ones. 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 Passaic County, yes. We cover all 16 municipalities, from Bloomingdale to Woodland Park. Put your ZIP code in the estimate form and we confirm it when we call you back.
If the brick or the crown is failing, yes. The exhaust still has to get out, and a chimney carrying gas exhaust can wear faster at the top than one nobody uses. The photos show you what we saw.
Sometimes the chimney vents two furnaces or two water heaters, one for each unit. That is more exhaust and more moisture going up the same flue. We note what is connected to it at the inspection and look into the flue where we can.
The number of open joints, any brick that needs replacing, and whether the crown, cap or flashing needs work all move the price. We do not quote over the phone. Once we have seen the top, the price comes to you on paper.
That is up to the town. Chimney masonry is not on the state list of work that can skip a permit, so the construction office makes the call. We ask them before starting, and if they want a permit, it is on your estimate.
See the top of your chimney without climbing up
Send us your town and what is going on with the chimney. We call you back shortly, go up and look at no charge, and give you photos plus a price on paper. If repointing is not enough, we tell you so.
Or call 732-682-9251