Chimney Repair for Ridgewood chimneys
Ridgewood's older homes have some of the largest and most visible chimneys in the county: tall brick stacks, sometimes stone, often with multiple flues serving fireplaces and heating systems, and decorative corbelling and caps on the Victorians and Tudors. They were built for coal and wood, have been through oil and then gas, and most have original clay tile liners, where they were lined at all.
The common problems are the ones age and weather produce: cracked crowns, open mortar joints, spalled brick, deteriorated liners, and fireplace flues that have not been inspected in years. Tall chimneys above the roofline take the most weather and the most freeze-thaw. We inspect, clean, reline, rebuild crowns, install caps, repoint, rebuild above the roofline and waterproof.
Flashing is the other half. Wide chimneys on Ridgewood roofs frequently lack saddles, and the counterflashing has been tarred over for decades. Many Ridgewood chimney leaks turn out to be flashing problems, and we do that work ourselves as part of the chimney repair rather than leaving it to a second contractor.
Ridgewood housing
Ridgewood has one of the most distinctive housing stocks in Bergen County: large Victorian, Queen Anne, colonial, Tudor and Dutch colonial homes from the late 1800s through the 1930s, many on wide lots along tree-lined streets, plus post-war colonials and splits in later sections. Steep roofs, multiple dormers, complex valleys and large brick or stone chimneys are the norm. Some original slate and tile roofs remain. The downtown has mixed-use buildings with flat roofs.
Weather & exposure
Ridgewood is well inland and its exposure is defined by trees and age rather than wind. A dense canopy of mature oaks and maples drops limbs in storms, fills gutters and valleys, and keeps shaded slopes damp enough to grow moss. The Ho-Ho-Kus Brook and Saddle River run through the village and flood low-lying areas in heavy rain. Winter freeze-thaw works on old masonry chimneys, and ice dams form on shaded, poorly ventilated roofs.
Repair, repoint or rebuild in Ridgewood
Have a Ridgewood chimney inspected if you see cracked or missing mortar, white staining, a cracked crown, a missing cap or a lean, or if a fireplace smokes or has not been inspected in years. Most repairs are exterior masonry that prevents larger damage. A tall stack that has deteriorated above the roofline can be rebuilt to match the original.
If you use your fireplaces, have the flues cleaned and inspected before each season. Estimates are free, and we explain what we find with photographs.
