Chimney repair in Somerset County, NJ
Most Somerset County homes heat with gas, but in Peapack and Gladstone and Far Hills a lot of chimneys still vent an oil boiler. Either way, the top of the brick takes the wear. That is where we repoint, mend the crown and reseal the metal.
NJ HIC 13VH13268400 · Licensed and insured · Free inspection · Open 24 hoursModern Home Roofing & Chimney repairs brick chimneys on houses across Somerset County, NJ, including North Plainfield, Bound Brook, Far Hills and Peapack and Gladstone. Gas heats 78 percent of county homes, and 43 percent in Peapack and Gladstone burn oil, so many chimneys still vent a furnace or boiler. We repoint, fix crowns and reseal flashing. NJ HIC 13VH13268400.
Gas in the river towns, oil in the hills
North Plainfield's median house dates to 1954, and 64 percent of its homes were built before 1960. Bound Brook's median is 1957. In houses that age, the gas furnace or water heater often still sends its exhaust up the original brick chimney. Burning gas makes water. When the flue is oversized or cold, that moisture settles on the inside of the brick before it gets out, and the mortar near the top takes it in.
Up in the Highlands the fuel changes. In Peapack and Gladstone 43 percent of homes heat with oil, in Far Hills 27 percent, and in Bedminster and Bernardsville 11 percent, against 4 percent for the county as a whole. An oil boiler sends soot and moisture up the flue, and both wear on the liner and the top courses. Those five towns also get the colder, snowier winters.
Below the Highlands, winter storms switch between rain and snow. Water gets into an open joint, freezes overnight and opens it a little wider. A cracked crown lets the same thing happen inside the stack, where nobody sees it from the yard.
So the price comes from the top of the chimney, not the driveway. We go up when it is safe to and look into the flue where we can.
What we check on a Somerset County chimney
The part of a chimney that sticks up past the roof is the part the weather reaches from every side. We start there, photograph each piece, and walk you through the pictures.
On the chimney, we look at
- The crown, for cracks that send water down into the stack.
- The upper joints, where the mortar gives out before the rest.
- Soot at the top of the flue on an oil-heated house, and what it has done to the liner.
- The liner, where we can see into it, for cracks and gaps.
- The cap, and whether one was ever put on.
- White crust on the brick face, a sign that water is moving through it.
When the upper courses shift under a hand and the crown is split through, fresh mortar will not hold. Then the estimate is for a rebuild. Chimney rebuilding in Somerset County
How a chimney repair works in Somerset 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 Somerset 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. Franklin Township requires a certificate of appropriateness for exterior alterations to houses in its local historic districts. 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 Somerset County, yes. We cover all 21 municipalities, from Bedminster to Watchung. Put your ZIP code in the estimate form and we confirm it when we call you back.
It can. Oil leaves soot and moisture in the flue, and both wear on the liner and the mortar near the top. We check the liner where we can see it and photograph the top courses. If the liner needs work, it goes on the estimate with the masonry.
Gas exhaust is wet. In an old brick flue that is wider or colder than the exhaust needs, some of that water condenses inside and soaks the top courses, and then frost works on them. The brick can look fine from the street while the mortar near the top is going.
The number of open joints, any cracked brick, and the state of the crown, the cap and the flashing set most of it. A tall stack on a steep roof takes longer to reach and work on. We do not quote over the phone. The written price comes after we have been up to the top.
Your town decides. Chimney masonry is not on New Jersey's lists of ordinary maintenance or minor work, so the construction office says what it needs. Franklin Township requires a certificate of appropriateness for exterior alterations to houses in its local historic districts. We check with your town before we start, and any permit goes on the estimate.
Find out what is happening at the top of your chimney
Tell us your town and what heats the house. We call you back shortly, look at the chimney for free, and send photos along with a written price. If repointing will not hold, we say so.
Or call 732-682-9251