Our Services
Rebuilding the box around your chimney in Midway
Finding the water, taking out the damage and rebuilding the enclosure, in the order our chase specialists follow.
Flashing where the chase meets the roof
Florida's residential code puts flashing wherever a wall meets a roof or a roof is opened up, and along a sidewall it names two methods, step flashing or one continuous L-shaped piece. A chase is exactly that kind of intersection, and its base is where many chase leaks begin.
Flashing on every side of the chase at the roof line gets checked, including any sealant used in place of metal, and what has failed is repaired or replaced. A new chase wall above a failed flashing would soak up the same water again.
A cricket behind a wide chase
On the uphill side of a chase, roof water has nowhere to go but against the wall. A cricket, also called a saddle, splits that flow around the chase, and the Florida Building Code requires one on the ridge side of any chimney or penetration wider than 30 inches measured across the slope.
If a wide chase has no cricket, or the cricket's covering has failed, the uphill corner stays wet after every storm. We point it out at the inspection and price the cricket work separately from the chase itself.
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.
A chase that leans or pulls away
A chase that tilts, separates from the house wall or shows a widening gap at its corners has usually lost strength at its base or its connections. Wind on a tall chase makes that worse over time. Cracked trim, torn flashing and sealant stretched across a widening joint often come with that movement.
We check how the chase is supported and tied back, find the failed framing and rebuild it to stand plumb. If the chimney pipe inside has been pulled out of line, we assess it separately against its maker's instructions.
