Chimney repair in New Jersey
Mortar in the fireplace, loose brick, a stain on the ceiling next to the chimney. We repoint the joints, replace the bad brick, and fix whatever is letting water in from the top. We do this on houses in 14 New Jersey counties.
NJ HIC 13VH13268400 · Licensed and insured · Free inspection · Fast ResponseModern Home Roofing & Chimney repairs brick and stone chimneys on houses in 14 New Jersey counties under NJ HIC license 13VH13268400. We repoint worn mortar joints, replace cracked brick, and fix the crown, cap and flashing that let water in from the top. Every repair starts with a free inspection, photos and a written estimate.
Why a chimney falls apart one joint at a time
Brick and mortar soak up water. When that water freezes, it pushes the mortar out of the joints and the face off the brick. Every open joint lets in more water the next time it rains, so the damage speeds up once it starts.
Repointing the joints while the brick is still sound is a repair. Once the brick itself is crumbling, it becomes a rebuild.
Signs your chimney needs repair
- Mortar or bits of brick dropping into the fireplace or onto the roof.
- White, chalky staining spreading across the brick outside.
- Joints you can scrape out with a key, or gaps where the mortar used to be.
- Brick faces cracking or popping off.
- Water in the firebox, or a damper that keeps rusting.
- A stain on the ceiling or wall right next to the chimney.
If the brick is crumbling across the whole stack or the chimney leans, repointing will not hold it. We tell you that when we see it, and show you the photos. What a chimney rebuild involves
How a chimney repair works
A chimney repair with us runs in seven steps. The top of the chimney gets as much attention as the brick, because that is where most chimney leaks start. Your written estimate lists how long the work will take.
We inspect the chimney, free
We get up to the top when it is safe to and photograph the cap, crown, flue, brick and flashing. Most people have never seen the top of their own chimney.
You get a written estimate
Which joints, which brick, what else needs work and the price, on paper. If we open something up and find a problem underneath, we stop and show you before we touch it.
We protect the roof and the house
Tarps go down on the roof around the chimney and over the plants below to catch mortar and brick.
We cut out the failed mortar
We grind the worn mortar out of the joints, back to a depth where the new mortar has something solid to bond to.
We repoint and replace bad brick
New mortar gets packed into the joints and tooled to shed water. Brick that has cracked or lost its face comes out and new brick goes in.
We fix what lets water in from the top
If the crown is cracked, the cap is missing or the flashing has lifted, that is on the estimate too. Repointing does not last under a top that lets water in.
We clean up and show you
We clear the mortar and brick off the roof and the ground, and go over photos of the finished chimney with you.
What a chimney is made of
A chimney has more parts than people expect, and water can get in through any of them. These are the parts we photograph when we inspect it.
Cap
The metal cover over the flue. It keeps rain, leaves and animals out of the chimney.
Crown
The cement slab on top of the brick. When it cracks, water goes straight down into the masonry.
Flue liner
The inside wall of the flue. A cracked liner lets heat and gases reach the brick and the wood framing around it.
Brick
Soaks up water. When that water freezes, the face of the brick pops off.
Mortar joints
The first part to wear. Repointing refills them before water gets into the brick behind.
Flashing
The metal where the chimney passes through the roof. When it lifts or rusts through, water runs down the outside of the stack and into the house.
Mortar falling out of your chimney?
Get a free inspection
What else affects a chimney repair
Where your house is changes the chimney
Farther north and west, in Sussex, Warren, Morris and Hunterdon, winters run colder and the freezing and thawing happens over and over. Near the shore, in Ocean and Monmouth, wind drives rain sideways into the brick, and salt air eats at metal caps and flashing.
Leak next to the chimney?
If the brick is sound, the water may be coming in around it. See Chimney Flashing, or the Roof Repair page if the roof around it is the problem.
Related work
Cracked crown or missing cap: Chimney Caps and Crowns. Broken clay tile in the fireplace: Chimney Liners. Smoke or tar smell: Chimney Cleaning.
Check us out before we touch your chimney
It depends on how many joints need repointing, how much brick has to be replaced, and whether the crown, cap or flashing needs work too. A few joints near the top and a whole stack are different jobs. You get a written price after we have been up to look.
Repointing means grinding the worn mortar out of the joints between the bricks and packing in new mortar. It keeps water out of the chimney wall. It works as long as the bricks themselves are still hard and whole.
Usually it comes in from the top: a cracked crown, a missing or rusted cap, or failed flashing where the chimney meets the roof. Sometimes it is soaking through the brick itself. We find which one before we price anything.
Once a year if you use it. That is what NFPA 211, the national fire safety standard for chimneys and fireplaces, calls for. A yearly look catches a cracked crown or a failing liner while it is still a small job.
Yes. If the brick is sound and only the joints are going, we tell you that and price the repointing. You see the photos, so you do not have to take our word for it.
Close, and it gets closer. New mortar starts out lighter than mortar that has weathered for years. We match the color as close as we can and tell you before we start how it will look.
We repair chimneys in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties. If your town is in one of those, we can come out.
Find out what your chimney needs
Tell us what you are seeing. We come out, inspect it for free, and give you photos and a written price. If repointing will do the job, you will hear that from us. If you hire someone else, you owe us nothing.
Fast Response · NJ HIC 13VH13268400 · Licensed and insured