Chimney Rebuild

Partial rebuild. This is the most common type. The part of the chimney above the roofline takes the most weather, so it usually fails first. In a partial rebuild we take the chimney down to the point where the brick and mortar are solid, often at or near the roofline, and rebuild from there up.

Full rebuild. When damage runs the full height of the chimney, or the chimney has shifted, settled, or is pulling away from the house, it may need to come down to its base or to a lower sound point and be rebuilt. This is a bigger project and takes more planning around the roof, interior walls, and fireplace.

Either way, a rebuild is a chance to correct problems the old chimney had, such as a crown that didn’t shed water, missing flashing, or a chimney that was too short to draft well.

• The chimney is leaning or pulling away from the house
• Bricks are loose, missing, or falling onto the roof or yard
• Many bricks are spalling, with faces flaking or popping off
• Mortar is crumbling across large areas, not just a few joints
• Large or growing cracks run through the brick itself, not only the mortar
• The crown is broken apart and the brick beneath it is soaked and crumbling
• Earlier patch repairs keep failing
• Water damage has stained ceilings or rotted framing near the chimney

Some of these can be fixed without a rebuild if they’re caught early. A leaning chimney or loose bricks at the top, though, can be a safety risk to anyone below and should be looked at promptly. If you’re not sure where your chimney stands, see our chimney repair options or schedule a chimney inspection.

1. Inspection and plan. We inspect the chimney inside and out, find out how far the damage goes, and explain which sections need to be rebuilt. We also look at the flue liner, flashing, and roof around the chimney, since those are often part of the job. When concerns go beyond the chimney itself, we can bring in structural engineering.

2. Protect your home. We protect the roof, landscaping, and work areas and plan how debris will be removed.

3. Take down the damaged section. Brick is removed by hand, course by course, down to solid masonry.

4. Rebuild. We lay new brick and mortar, chosen to match the look of your home as closely as practical. The flue liner is checked and repaired or replaced as needed, and proper clearances to wood framing are kept.

5. Top it off. A new, properly sloped crown with a drip edge sheds water away from the brick, a chimney cap keeps rain and animals out of the flue, and new flashing seals the chimney to the roof. Wide chimneys may also get a cricket.

6. Clean up and review. We clean the work area and walk you through what was done.

A deteriorated chimney is more than a cosmetic problem. Loose bricks can fall. Gaps in the masonry can let heat and smoke reach parts of the house they shouldn’t. Water that gets in through failing masonry damages the liner, the firebox, and the framing around the chimney. Rebuilding the damaged section restores a solid, weather-tight structure and gives the chimney a fresh start.

A rebuild is also the right time to make sure the chimney is tall enough. Building codes generally require a chimney to extend at least 3 feet above the point where it passes through the roof and at least 2 feet higher than any part of the building within 10 feet. A chimney that’s too short can draft poorly and send smoke back into the house.