Chimney repair in Union County, NJ
Gas heats 83 percent of Union County homes, and in older houses the exhaust frequently rides up the original brick. We replace failed mortar, mend the crown and seal the flashing while the damage is still small.
NJ HIC 13VH13268400 · Licensed and insured · Free inspection · Open 24 hoursModern Home Roofing & Chimney fixes brick chimneys across Union County, NJ, including Cranford, Summit, Fanwood and Hillside, where about 71 percent of homes predate 1960. With 83 percent of county homes on gas heat, many old chimneys carry furnace exhaust every day. We repoint, repair crowns and seal flashing. Free inspection, NJ HIC 13VH13268400.
Brick chimneys from the 1950s, venting gas today
Gas heats 83 percent of homes in the county. In a 1950s house, the furnace and water heater exhaust frequently goes up the same brick flue the builder laid. That exhaust is wet. If the flue is oversized or cold, moisture condenses inside before it reaches the top and works into the joints.
Cranford's median house dates to 1951, Summit's to 1953 and Fanwood's to 1954, and about 71 percent of homes in each predate 1960. From the sidewalk a chimney like that can look fine while the top few courses, the coldest part, are shedding mortar.
Then there is the weather. In the northern Central Zone, winter storms swing between rain and snow. Water gets into an open joint or a cracked crown, freezes overnight, and opens the gap a little more. Over enough winters, that is how a crown splits.
Nothing gets priced until we have stood at the top and, where it is visible, checked the flue.
Where Union County chimneys fail first
Above the roofline the brick has no shelter from rain, wind or frost. We climb up when conditions allow and photograph each piece, so you see exactly what we saw.
At the top we check
- Cracks in the crown that feed water down into the stack.
- Joints in the upper courses, where mortar usually fails first.
- The liner, if it is visible, for breaks or gaps.
- The cap: present, missing or rusted through.
- Metal flashing at the roofline.
- White crust or dark streaks on the brick face, which mean water is passing through.
Repointing cannot save courses that rock under a hand or a crown cracked clean through. In that case the estimate is for a rebuild. Chimney rebuilding in Union County
How a chimney repair works in Union 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 Union 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. Westfield requires a certificate of appropriateness for exterior changes in its historic districts, though a repair that matches the old material and look is exempt. 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 Union County, yes. We cover all 21 municipalities, from Berkeley Heights to Winfield. Put your ZIP code in the estimate form and we confirm it when we call you back.
Yes, if the crown or mortar is going. Furnace exhaust needs a sound path out, and a flue carrying it often wears faster up top than one nobody uses. The photos show you where it stands.
That section is exposed on all sides and gets no warmth from the house. By the time exhaust reaches it, it has cooled. So the upper courses fail first, and that is where we begin.
Cost turns on how many joints need fresh mortar, how many bricks need swapping, and whether the crown, cap or flashing joins the list. A number over the phone would be a guess, so we do not give one. After we have been to the top, you get the price in writing.
Your town decides. Chimney masonry appears on neither state list of ordinary maintenance or minor work, so the local construction office makes the call. We contact it before work starts and add any permit to the estimate.
Usually not, if the repair matches the old material and look. Westfield exempts that kind of repair from its certificate of appropriateness. If the chimney would look different afterward, the town reviews it first. We ask before we start.
Get a look at the top of your chimney
Send us your town and what you have noticed. We call you back shortly, inspect for free from the top down, and give you photos and a written price. If new mortar will not last, we tell you before anything else.
Or call 732-682-9251