Our Process

Inside a stucco repair on your Altamonte Springs chimney

Why the top of the chimney matters

Horizontal surfaces such as the tops of chimneys are particularly vulnerable to water, Preservation Brief 22 notes, and they sometimes need a change to their original design, like added flashing, to correct the problem. On a masonry chimney that top surface is the crown.

In section R1003.9.1, the Florida Building Code, Residential, describes a masonry chimney cap of concrete, metal or stone that slopes to shed water, carries a drip edge and has a caulked bond break where it meets each flue liner. If the crown on your Altamonte Springs chimney is flat, cracked or missing its drip edge, our team prices that fix on its own line ahead of the stucco.

Sounding the stucco for hollow spots

Cracks show where stucco has failed at the surface, but loose stucco can look perfectly sound. Preservation Brief 22 describes the test plainly. Areas that have lost their key echo with a hollow sound when tapped gently with a wooden or acrylic hammer or mallet, and the testing is done systematically on every side.

Our specialists sound each face of your Altamonte Springs chimney that can be reached safely, mark the hollow areas and measure them. That map sets the size of the repair on the estimate, so a patch is never sized to the visible crack while loose stucco sits just beyond its edge.

Bonding agents and when they help

A properly cleaned and prepared area usually does not need a bonding agent, the brief says. One may be useful for hairline cracks or on surfaces that bond poorly, such as dense stone or brick or previously painted masonry, but it should not be used on a wall that is likely to stay damp or where large amounts of salts are present.

Our specialists rely on good preparation and a mechanical key first on your Altamonte Springs chimney. If the surface calls for a bonding agent, we tell you why, name the product on the estimate and make sure the chimney is not one of the damp walls where the brief advises against it.

Keeping new stucco from drying too fast

To prevent cracking, the brief stresses that stucco must not dry too fast. The area should be shaded, or even covered if possible, particularly in hot weather, and in hot weather it is a good idea to keep the newly stuccoed area damp for 48 to 72 hours.

A chimney has no eaves to shade it, so on a hot Altamonte Springs day our team hangs shade over the fresh work and mists it through the curing period. If the weather will not allow proper curing, we move the finish coat to another day and tell you why.