Chimney Repair for East Orange chimneys
East Orange has a great many tall masonry chimneys: on apartment buildings, where a single stack may have served a coal boiler for the whole building, and on large older houses with several fireplaces and a furnace. Most of these chimneys now vent gas boilers, furnaces and water heaters, or nothing at all, and the upper sections have taken a century of weather.
We repair chimneys throughout East Orange: repointing, crown replacement, caps, flashing, stainless steel liners, rebuilding of deteriorated upper sections, waterproofing and cleaning. On apartment buildings, we also inspect chimneys that rise through flat roofs and above parapets, where loose masonry is a safety concern for the sidewalk below.
Tall chimneys on multi-story buildings are exposed on every side. Spalled brick, open joints and cracked crowns are common, and repairs often require careful access planning. We photograph the condition and give owners a written scope that separates safety items from maintenance.
East Orange housing
East Orange has an unusually high share of apartment buildings for New Jersey: brick walk-ups and mid-rise buildings from the early to mid-1900s with flat roofs, parapets, bulkheads and roof hatches. Between them are large Victorian and colonial houses, many converted to multiple units, and frame two- and three-family homes with steep main roofs and flat rear sections. Commercial blocks along the main corridors also have flat roofs. Brick chimneys, some very tall, are found on most older buildings.
Weather & exposure
East Orange is low and flat compared with the Watchung towns to its west, so ridge wind is not the main concern. Its challenges are density and building height: tall apartment buildings with exposed parapets and chimneys take wind-driven rain on their upper walls, flat roofs pond after heavy downpours, and closely spaced houses shed water and ice onto one another. Freeze-thaw cycles work steadily on old masonry parapets and chimney tops.
Repair, repoint or rebuild in East Orange
Start with an inspection of the crown, cap, masonry, flashing and every flue. For many East Orange buildings, the right scope combines a new crown, repointing or rebuilding of the top courses, caps and liners for active appliances. Loose masonry over walkways should be addressed first.
Owners of multi-unit buildings should keep a record of chimney condition and flue use. Knowing which flues serve which appliances, and which are abandoned, makes heating system changes simpler and helps avoid venting problems.
