Clawson, Oakland County
Chimney repair in Clawson
Clawson's oldest chimneys went up in the 1920s and the next big group in the 1950s, and on both the repair usually starts at the top: the crown, the last few courses of brick, and any old tar patch someone put over them.
Two building booms, one set of problems
Clawson went from about 1,000 people in 1920 to 3,377 in 1930, so a lot of its oldest chimneys date from that single decade. Those are close to a hundred years old now. The second wave came after World War II, when brick bungalows and ranches went up all over town through the 1950s and 1960s. Those chimneys are sixty to seventy-five years old.
Both groups fail from the top. The crown cracks, water gets into the top few courses, and Michigan freeze and thaw does the rest. On a 1920s chimney, older and softer brick tends to flake at the faces. On a postwar ranch, the mortar joints are more often the first thing to go.
Tar patches
The photo shows what that kind of patch turns into. Somebody coated the crown and the top of the brick in roofing tar to stop a leak. Tar stays flexible for a season or two, then it cracks, and the water that gets behind it stays there. You can see what that does to the brick faces along the edges. Before we can repair a chimney like this, the tar has to come off, and the quote accounts for that.
Starting prices
The written quote gives you the final number. These are where the common Clawson repairs start.
- Crown repair starts at $1,000 plus $1 per square inch of crown. A full crown rebuild starts at $1,500 plus $1 per square inch.
- Tuckpointing runs $595 to $4,995, depending on how many joints and how many sides need new mortar.
- Replacing 1 to 15 damaged bricks is $850 plus $75 a brick.
- A single-flue cap is $375. Re-seating a cap that has worked loose is $195.
On a narrow lot where a ladder can't be set safely, a lift or scaffolding adds $1,249. We tell you before we quote if your chimney needs one.
How it works
We look at the whole chimney first, along with the spot you noticed, and take photos. You get the photos, our recommendation and a written price, along with what a smaller repair would and wouldn't fix. Nothing starts until you approve it. If you want a look before deciding anything, a chimney inspection in Clawson is $49, credited toward the repair.
Questions
Someone put tar over my Clawson chimney crown. Is that a fix?
It buys a little time at best. Tar cracks in the cold and pulls away from the brick, and water that gets behind it can't dry out. The brick under a tar patch often comes off in layers once the tar is scraped back. We take the tar off, see what's sound under it, and quote either a crown repair or a rebuild of the top courses, with photos.
Do I need a permit for chimney work in Clawson?
It depends on what's being done. We check with the City of Clawson for your specific repair, note on the quote whether a permit is required, and include the permit cost when it is. That way the number you approve is the number you pay.
Chimney repair near Clawson
Chimney repair in Clawson
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.