Our Services

Leak repair details for chimneys in Forest City

Our leak professionals work from the top down to find and fix the entry point on chimneys in Forest City.

The joint between crown and flue tile

Concrete and clay tile expand and contract at different rates. When the crown is cast tight against the flue tile, that movement can crack the crown or the tile and open a path for water beside the flue.

The building code calls for a bond break with a sealed joint around the flue lining. We check that joint for gaps and cracks, and when water is getting in there, we reseal it or rebuild it as part of the crown repair. A sound joint lets the tile and crown move without tearing each other apart.

Keeping rain out of the flue with a cap

Without a cap, rain falls straight down the flue onto the damper and the smoke shelf. A cap with a solid lid and a screen stops that water and keeps animals out.

The cap must leave enough open area for exhaust to leave freely, and the Florida Building Code sets that area for rain caps on masonry chimneys. We fit caps sized to the flue and fasten them so storms do not lift them. On a chimney with several flues, a single cap that covers them all can be the simpler answer.

Ceilings, walls and interior finishes

Stopping the water does not restore stained paint, soft drywall or damaged flooring near the fireplace. Those finishes need to dry and may need replacement by the right trade.

You hear what we see inside and whether the material still feels wet. Interior repairs are included only when they are written into the estimate, so there is no confusion about who handles what. Waiting for the finish to dry before repainting keeps the old stain from bleeding through.

When earlier repairs did not hold

A repair that failed may have been aimed at the wrong entry, made with the wrong material or overtaken by a new problem. We start by describing the current condition rather than assuming the earlier diagnosis was right or wrong.

Records of the earlier work help. So does the date of the first stain compared with the date of the most recent fresh moisture, since that keeps an old mark from being mistaken for a new failure. The new repair is then aimed at what the evidence shows today.