Chimney Rebuilds: what to know
Some chimneys are past the point where repointing or crown work will hold. The brick is spalled through most of the exposed stack, joints are open from face to face, the top courses move when pushed, or the whole thing has begun to lean. At that stage patching is throwing money at a structure that will keep failing, and the honest recommendation is to rebuild it.
Asset Roofing & Chimney rebuilds masonry chimneys across North New Jersey. The most common job is a partial rebuild: we dismantle the chimney from the roofline up to the first course of sound brick and reconstruct it with new brick, properly tooled joints, a new flue tile or liner, and a concrete crown with an overhang and drip edge. Full rebuilds from the foundation are needed less often, typically when the footing has failed or the chimney is deteriorated through its whole height.
A rebuilt chimney is an opportunity to correct the things that caused the original to fail: a flat mortar crown, missing flashing, no liner, the wrong brick for the exposure. We build to today's practice, match the new brick to the house as closely as possible, and tie the flashing into the roof so the repair holds up to decades of nor'easters and freeze-thaw.
What chimney rebuilds from Asset includes
- Assessment to determine how far down the chimney must be dismantled
- Careful demolition with protection of the roof and surrounding areas
- New brick matched as closely as possible to the existing house
- Flue tile replacement or stainless liner installation during the rebuild
- Properly detailed concrete crown with overhang, slope and drip edge
- New step and counter-flashing tied into the roof
- Cap installation on the finished chimney
- Debris removal and site cleanup
