Chimney Repair for Teaneck chimneys
Almost every house in Teaneck's older neighborhoods has at least one brick chimney, and many have two: one for the heating system and one for a fireplace. They were built in the 1920s through 1950s with clay tile liners, and most have been through one or more heating system changes since. The common findings are cracked and separated tile liners, flues never relined after a gas conversion, crowns cracked by freeze-thaw, and open mortar joints.
Teaneck chimneys also live under trees. Overhanging branches drop leaves and debris into uncapped flues, keep the masonry shaded and damp, and occasionally strike the chimney itself in storms. A good cap and a sound crown matter a great deal here. We inspect, clean, reline, rebuild crowns, install caps, repoint and waterproof.
A large share of the chimney leaks we see in Teaneck are really flashing failures where the chimney meets the roof. Wide chimneys on the township's colonials often lack a saddle, so water pools behind them. We do the flashing ourselves as part of chimney work.
Teaneck housing
Teaneck is a large residential township with a housing stock that is mostly single-family homes built between the 1920s and the 1950s: center-hall colonials, Tudors, Cape Cods and some split-levels on tree-lined streets. Nearly all have steep-slope asphalt shingle roofs and brick chimneys. Commercial buildings with flat roofs line Cedar Lane, Teaneck Road and the Route 4 corridor, along with some garden apartments.
Weather & exposure
Teaneck is inland from the Palisades, so wind is less of a factor than in the river boroughs. The dominant issues are its mature tree canopy and its age. Large oaks and maples overhang roofs, dropping limbs in storms and filling gutters and valleys every fall. Shaded north slopes stay damp, grow moss and form ice dams in winter. Low areas near the Hackensack River and Overpeck Creek see occasional flooding.
Repair, repoint or rebuild in Teaneck
Have your Teaneck chimney inspected if you see white staining, loose or missing mortar, pieces of tile in the fireplace or cleanout, a cracked crown or a missing cap, or if you have converted to gas without relining. Most repairs are exterior masonry work that prevents much larger problems. A badly deteriorated chimney above the roofline can be rebuilt from the roof up.
If you use your fireplace, have the flue cleaned and inspected before the season. Estimates are free, and we explain what we find with photos.
