Chimney Repair for Rahway chimneys
Rahway's older houses and two-families carry brick chimneys built for coal and later oil, now mostly venting gas appliances through oversized clay flues. Downtown, older commercial buildings have chimneys rising through flat roofs, some long abandoned and others still serving boilers. Both kinds weather from the top down.
We repair chimneys throughout Rahway: repointing, crowns, caps, flashing, stainless steel liners, rebuilds of deteriorated upper sections, waterproofing and cleaning. For chimneys through flat roofs, we tie the chimney flashing into the membrane so the two are watertight together.
In low-lying areas that have flooded, the chimney base in the basement can lose mortar after repeated saturation. We check it along with the rest of the stack.
Rahway housing
Rahway's older neighborhoods near downtown hold late-1800s and early-1900s Victorians, foursquares and two-families, many with rear additions on low-slope roofs. Further out are 1920s to 1950s colonials, capes and bungalows, and post-war capes and ranches on the edges. Downtown has two- and three-story brick commercial buildings with flat roofs behind parapets, and newer mid-rise apartment buildings; industrial and commercial buildings add large flat roofs.
Weather & exposure
Rahway is low and fairly flat, closer to the coast than the county's western towns, so nor'easters bring sustained wind-driven rain. The Rahway River has flooded low-lying sections after major storms, which affects basements and chimney bases more than roofs. Mature trees shade older streets, and freeze-thaw works on downtown parapets and the brick chimneys of older homes.
Repair, repoint or rebuild in Rahway
An inspection covering the crown, cap, brick, joints, flashing and flues tells you what is needed. For most Rahway homes that is a crown, cap, repointing of the exposed courses and a liner for gas appliances. For commercial buildings, unused chimneys are worth deciding on: cap, repair or remove. You get photos and a written scope.
If a flood has reached the basement, have the chimney base and the appliance connections checked before the next heating season.
