Our Services
What a lasting chase repair involves
Chase repairs quoted upfront by a local family business, with no hidden fees.
Stucco chases need their layers
Stucco on a framed chase is a layered system. The Florida Building Code calls for a water-resistive vapor-permeable barrier behind stucco over wood-based sheathing, with performance equal to two layers of Grade D paper, and the stucco itself goes over lath.
A patch of new stucco over rotted sheathing or a missing barrier will crack and stain again. We cut back to sound material, repair the sheathing, restore the barrier and lath, then rebuild the stucco and blend the finish.
Matching the finish on a repaired chase
A repaired chase should blend with the rest of the house. New siding and stucco rarely match weathered material perfectly on day one, and some older profiles are no longer made. Stucco texture and paint sheen matter as much as color, and both are judged on site against the existing walls.
We discuss the closest available match before ordering, show you where new meets old and include priming and painting where the finish calls for it. If a face needs full replacement for a clean match, that option is priced separately.
Animals getting into the chase
Gaps at the top of a chase, rotted corners and open joints at the soffit give birds, squirrels and rodents a way into the enclosure. Nesting material in a chase holds moisture and can crowd the air space around the chimney pipe.
If we find signs of animals, we check whether any are still inside before sealing anything, and removal follows the wildlife rules that apply. The repair then closes the openings so the chase stays empty. Screens at the chase top are fitted only where the chimney maker allows them.
Chases that sit on the roof
Some chases start on the roof deck instead of the ground, rising only a few feet above the roofline. Their base sits in the path of roof water, and their framing is tied into the roof structure. Water that gets past the base flashing can travel along the roof framing and appear some distance from the chase.
Repairs to a roof-mounted chase usually involve the flashing and the roofing around it as well as the chase walls. We plan both together so the roof and the chase are closed up tight at the same time.
